The Phoenix Ascending
by drwatsonn
Summary: Sequel to "The Clockwork Locket." Cassie Alderfair never expected her sixth year to be normal. After a year of dark secrets, mysterious powers, and devastating betrayals, she knew better than to hope that things would ever be the same. And now with a war looming on the horizon, threatening all, Cassie must learn to fight - or risk losing everything she loves. (Marauders' Era)
1. The Storm Gathers

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Welcome and welcome back! Here is the sequel to _The Clockwork Locket._ If you're just now stumbling upon this story, great! I'll do my best to summarize in these first few chapters, but I do highly recommend reading _The Clockwork Locket_ before diving into this story. And if you're traveling here after reading _Clockwork,_ it's good to have you back on board! I hope you enjoy this story as much as the last one. **

**And to all readers, please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments. I love reading reviews and interacting with my readers!**

 **So without further ado, let's get started. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **The Storm Gathers**

The Dark Lord sat in his hall of stone and waited.

The braziers lining the walls did nothing to keep the darkness at bay. Shadows gathered in all the places the light did not reach, spectating, watching. They scented blood, and they growled in anticipation of the kill to come.

Long, pale fingers rolled the yew wand in his hands. It was time. The Dark Lord spoke. "Enter."

The thick wooden doors at the opposite end of the hall swung open. They shuddered as they collided with the stone walls, and that was the only sound as a man and a woman walked in, flanking another witch between them.

"Lieutenant." The Dark Lord nodded to the man. He was a powerfully built wizard – tall, broad-shouldered, and well-muscled beneath his black robes. The Lieutenant dipped his head in acknowledgement. The light from the brazier flames danced across his brutal features and closely-shorn hair, throwing his face into shadow and turning his black hair gold.

The Dark Lord shifted his gaze to the witch on the far left. She was darkness and chaos incarnate, nearly quivering with anticipation, her black eyes shimmering with a madness and wildness he had always found intriguing. He inclined his head to her. "Lieutenant."

The witch's eyes went wide. She dropped to her knees so quickly he could hear the crack of her bones against the floor.

"My Lord…" she gasped. "You do me such a great honor…I will never fail you…Ask, and it will be done…I am yours to command…"

He flicked a hand. "Stand, Bellatrix. We have business to attend to."

As Bellatrix clambered to her feet, the Dark Lord focused his attention on the witch in the middle. Between the dark forms of his lieutenants, she stood out like a diamond with her platinum hair and iron eyes. She stood silently, head bowed, but he could see the small tremor in her hands and taste the tang of fear in the air.

Good. She should be afraid.

He flicked his hand again, and his lieutenants melted back into the shadows, leaving the white witch alone before him. He cocked his head. "Look at me, Claudia."

Claudia Carlisle lifted her eyes to him. She tried to conceal a shudder at the red irises, but he saw it anyway. It amused him.

"Well?" he said. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

He kept his voice silky soft, but she flinched like he had shouted. "My Lord…You know I live to serve…I had the object you desired in the palm of my hand—"

"But you did not." Carlisle shied away from the coldness in his voice. "Instead you let a weak little girl and her foolish friends obtain the object before you and destroy it. Tell me, Claudia, how does that not count as failure on your part?"

Carlisle's hands curled at her sides, and her lips pulled back in a snarl as she said, "Yes, I did fail you, My Lord. I do not deny that. But Cassie Alderfair had help from her traitorous whelp of a brother—"

"William Alderfair is no longer my concern. He is locked away in Azkaban for the time being, until I decide I want to use him again. What _is_ my concern is why my former Third was beaten and humiliated by a sixteen-year-old girl."

He waved his wand, and Carlisle gasped as her face began to drip like hot wax. The Transfiguration she had applied disappeared as he undid her spell-work, revealing the ugly burns and angry red marks she had tried so hard to conceal. One side of her face was so burned that patches of her white-blonde hair were still missing, singed away from the blast that had wrecked her face.

"Five Stunning Spells all at once, performed by a meager student." He smiled coldly at Carlisle, who was desperately trying to hide her face behind her hands. "You make a mockery of yourself, Claudia."

"My Lord," she gasped. "Let me have my revenge on Cassie Alderfair. Let me kill her for you, to prove my worth once again—"

"You had your chance to kill the girl. And my patience is at an end, Claudia."

Carlisle threw herself to her knees. "My Lord, please – I will do anything – _anything_ – to prove my loyalty – _please_ —"

He frowned down at the prostrated witch. "Oh, Claudia. You know how much I hate beggars."

He jerked his wand again, and Carlisle's pleas morphed into screams. The Dark Lord watched, unmoved, as the witch's body convulsed and twitched on the stones, her screams echoing around the large hall.

 _Pitiful creature,_ he thought in disgust. _It must be put down._

With one more wave of his wand, there was a flash of green light, and Carlisle's screams faded. Her body splayed on the stones, broken and still, and her lifeless grey eyes bored into him.

He felt nothing but satisfaction.

"Bellatrix." He flicked a careless hand. "Dispose of her."

His lieutenant rushed forward at once, waving her wand so Carlisle's limp body floated behind her as she left the hall. When the doors had shut again, the Dark Lord turned to his Second. "Is the prisoner secured?"

He nodded. "William Alderfair was transported to Azkaban two days ago, My Lord. The Wizengamot gave him a life sentence."

"Oh, I fear it won't be that long," the Dark Lord mused. "Just enough to remember his place." His lips curled in a serpentine smile. "You did good work, Bloodbane. Your service will be rewarded."

Bloodbane bowed his head. "My service is my reward, My Lord."

"Of course it is." The Dark Lord examined his yew wand again. "Is that all, Lieutenant?"

"I do have one more question, My Lord." The Dark Lord gestured for him to speak. "What is to be done about Alderfair's sister?"

"She poses no threat. Yet." He studied his lieutenant. "But if what you told me about her bloodline is true…"

"It is."

The Dark Lord shrugged. "Then we will keep an eye on her. But if her seventeenth birthday comes and the magic lying dormant in her blood awakens…" He fixed his lieutenant with a serpent's stare. "You know what to do."

"Of course, My Lord." Bloodbane nodded and dismissed himself, leaving the Dark Lord alone.

Yes, he pondered as he rolled his wand between his fingers, Cassie Alderfair could potentially become his greatest enemy – or his greatest ally. If he could break William Alderfair, she could be broken, as well. And to see the look on Dumbledore's face if he stole one of his most valuable pawns…

Lord Voldemort smiled at the thought.

* * *

Cassie Alderfair was not normal.

The neighbors might have thought she was as they stood outside, watering their meticulous lawns and trimming their perfect hedges, waving as she jogged past on her morning runs. To them, she was only an average sixteen-year-old girl, enjoying a summer holiday at her aunt's house on Freesia Lane before she went back to her fancy French boarding school in September. To them, there was no speculation at all that she might be unusual.

If only they knew.

What the neighbors didn't see was the birch wand stuffed down her shirt when she went on her runs, or the way her eyes roved over the hedges and yards, alert for any sign that that day would finally be the day the Death Eaters came for her. What the neighbors didn't know was that Cassie Alderfair was a witch, and her aunt, Olivia Hastings, was one also, living in their midst like they, too, were ordinary Muggles. And what the neighbors could never guess was that Cassie Alderfair's brother was a murderer, and she was a hunted prize for the greatest Dark wizard of their time.

But to them, ignorance was bliss.

Cassie jogged down the sidewalk, keeping her pace quick and her breath even. The morning sun was already hot on the back of her neck, and she could feel sweat slicking her skin and sliding between her shoulder blades, but she kept running.

She couldn't remember the last time she had willingly run before this summer. Her body couldn't remember, either, which was why she had gone only three blocks a month ago before hurling her guts into Mrs. Brown's prize-winning peonies. But Cassie kept running, every morning, pushing herself more and more, until she could now go eight kilometers without stopping.

She'd needed something to do to keep herself occupied over the holiday, as her aunt had been so kind to remind her the week after her parents' funeral as she ripped the covers off Cassie and dragged her to the shower.

"I'm not letting you wallow in your misery, Cassie," Liv had said over the hiss of the showerhead. The water had been scalding, but it was the most Cassie had felt in over a week. "I know how hard it is, but wasting your life away in bed isn't going to improve anything."

Cassie had been so angry with her aunt that she'd laced up her trainers and gone outside for some fresh air, but that was all it took. When she ran, she didn't have to focus on her dead parents, or her lying traitor of a brother, or the sorry mess her life had become. She could just breathe, and run, and forget about the demons haunting her steps, if only for a little while. It became routine; it became peace.

Today was different though.

With every smack of her shoe against the pavement, Liv's voice rang through her head like a bell: _"A letter came from the Ministry. Will was sentenced to Azkaban two days ago. For life."_

Cassie grit her teeth and ran faster. Her knees groaned in protest, but she ignored them. Will was in Azkaban. Not just for murdering their parents because Lord Voldemort had forced him to, but because he _wanted_ to go. To find someone. To find Erebus Kane.

Cassie hadn't told anyone about her brother's plans. She didn't want to, not until she found out who this Erebus Kane was, and why Will was willing to risk going mad in Azkaban to get to him.

Her legs pumped harder. When had her brother become such a suicidal idiot? Joining the Death Eaters had been one thing, but to go to Azkaban…

 _"I hope you rot in Azkaban."_

Those had been her last words to him. And it seemed she'd finally gotten her wish. Her brother was gone. He'd succumbed to the Darkness festering inside him, and this had been the end result. She wished she could feel remorseful over Will's fate, but she couldn't. He'd chosen his path and left her all alone. And now he would be alone.

But the anger thrumming inside her would not go away.

 _Liar._ With every step, she pictured Will's face beneath her feet. _Traitor._ She'd been stupid, stupid and blind to think that her brother had ever been good, that he'd ever choose her over his delusions of power and grandeur. _Coward._ And she was angry at herself for still thinking he could be saved despite it all.

Cassie reached the end of the quaint suburban neighborhood and stopped. The sprawl of Surrey lay beyond, vastly different from Alderfair Manor and the North York Moors she'd grown up with all her life. It took her a few moments to realize that tears had mingled with the sweat on her face, and she wiped them away hastily, cursing herself for crying.

She couldn't have changed anything from happening, she knew. But Godric, she wished she had.

Drying the last of her tears, she turned and went home.

* * *

The Hastings household was what Cassie could only describe as cheerful chaos.

It was something she had been shocked by when she first moved in. And though some days it was still odd to her, she was slowly getting used to it. Alderfair Manor had been her home, but it'd been cold and imposing. With only four people and a house-elf residing in such a large residence, it was common for the halls and rooms to be eerily quiet, and for Cassie to feel utterly alone. But the Hastings' house was the complete opposite.

Small but cozy, the home spoke of warmth and life. Every room was painted a bright and cheery color, and the furniture was well-worn and comfortable, like they'd seen lifetimes of use. The icebox was decorated with sloppy drawings and paintings provided by Cassie's younger cousins, and the sitting room was filled with family photos, frozen forever in their frames, but still happier than any of the portraits Cassie had been forced to sit through as a child.

Perhaps that was what unnerved her so much about her aunt's house – the love that oozed from every aspect of it. There was no walking on eggshells to please her father, no quiet discussions with her mother, their voices a whisper to keep anyone from overhearing, no secrets and lies and masks. The Hastings were everything the Alderfairs were not: authentic, genuine, and real.

Cassie entered through the front door and was greeted by a barrage of sounds. She used to flinch at all the noise before, but now she could mostly tune it out. She passed the sitting room, where her uncle, David, sat before the telly, lounging in his pajamas and watching the Saturday morning programs from the sofa. He waved as Cassie walked by, and Cassie managed a smile for him.

David was a nice man; as a professor of Muggle history, he was smart and articulate too, and Cassie was always fascinated by his stories. But she knew David was also wary of her. Her aunt had never gone into specifics, but Liv had told her that David's history with wizards and witches wasn't pleasant – which didn't surprise Cassie at all. Her grandparents had been staunch blood purists, and discovering their youngest daughter had eloped with a Muggle man… Well, Cassie could imagine the devastation left in the wake of _that_ particular fight.

Cassie walked into the kitchen, seeing her cousins working on a puzzle together at the table while her aunt stood at the stove cooking breakfast. That had been another shock for Cassie – realizing she had cousins. She'd never even known about their existence until she'd moved in over a month ago, and the revelation had been a slap to the face. Not once had her mother ever mentioned she had more family out in the world. Cassie had to wonder what else her parents had hidden from her over the years.

"Hi, Cass," said Ben, the older of her two cousins. He was eight, with curly dark hair and the same soft, hazel eyes as his mother. He was curious too, which Cassie had learned the hard way at her first dinner with the Hastings. She had almost stabbed her eye out with a fork after the little tyke's endless stream of questions.

"Hey, Ben," she returned. "Hi, Mia. What puzzle are you doing?"

Mia, her other cousin, said with all the enthusiasm of a six-year-old, "It's the hot air balloon one! Do you want to help?"

Cassie wavered at her big brown eyes, but fortunately, Liv came to her rescue. "Maybe she can play with you later, Mia. Let her eat first."

Mia nodded, going back to the puzzle and swiftly berating Ben for trying to put down the wrong piece. Cassie grinned as she grabbed a glass of water, downing it all in a few seconds before refilling it.

Liv dumped another serving of fluffy scrambled eggs into the bowl on the island, but Cassie could feel her aunt's eyes on her. "Good run?" Liv asked casually. Too casually.

Cassie shrugged. She didn't particularly want to talk about the news Liv had shared with her that morning about Will in that moment. Preferably never, if she could help it. She traced her finger along the rim of her glass, ignoring Liv's beseeching stare and the way her heart twisted at the expression; sometimes Liv looked so much like Cassie's mother that it took her breath away. The dark hair, the natural beauty, the sparkle in their eyes – it made Cassie want to break down and cry.

"I made it all the way to Briar Oak Lane," she replied, swallowing the hot lump in her throat. "That's the furthest I've gone so far."

Liv nodded, pursing her lips. "And how are you feeling?"

 _Fan-freaking-tastic,_ she thought, but she only shrugged again. "Tired. Sweaty. Hungry."

Her aunt studied her carefully. Cassie clenched her jaw and turned away from her scrutiny.

"Another letter came for you while you were out," Liv said eventually.

Cassie snorted. "Another note from Rita Skeeter, begging to let her interview me for _The Daily Prophet_?"

Liv smiled. "Why don't you take a look."

She extracted the letter from the pocket of her apron and handed it to Cassie. Cassie slid her finger under the fold and broke the plain wax seal. Inside was a piece of parchment paper that she unfolded to reveal four sets of different handwriting in black ink, and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she read.

 **GREETINGS, MISS ALDERFAIR! WE HOPE THIS LETTER FINDS YOU ALIVE AND UNHARMED!**

 _Don't listen to James, Cassie. We know you're doing all right._

 _ **Hey, Princess.**_

Sirius says he wants to snog you!

 _ **Sod off, Peter. But it**_ **is** _ **true…**_

Ugh, gross, Sirius!

 _Behave, Padfoot. Save your love letters for another piece of parchment._

 **IMPORTANT QUESTION, CASS: IS SIRIUS BLACK A GOOD SNOG?**

 _ **Wouldn't you like to know, Prongs?**_

 **I** _ **DO**_ **ALREADY KNOW, PADS – I'M JUST ASKING CASSIE TO GET A SECOND OPINION.**

 _James, stop taking up the entire parchment! Why are you writing so big anyway?_

 **BECAUSE I'M THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE HERE.**

I think Cassie would disagree.

 **NONSENSE. WE'RE IN LOVE, CASSIE, RIGHT?**

 _ **You have some explaining to do, Princess…**_

 _Okay, moving on. How are things, Cass? Good holiday so far? All things considering. As you can tell, we're all at James's house for the rest of the summer. We've been pestering his mum to invite you – if not for the remainder of the holiday, then at least for Pete's birthday. It's coming up in August._

You better come!

 _That was Peter, if you couldn't tell. Owl us back with your answer!_

 **IF YOU CAN'T COME, WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU ANYWAY! HAVE YOUR TRUNK READY, PRINCESS!**

 _ **Pack something sexy too.**_

See that stain on the parchment, Cassie? That's where I threw up.

 _ANYWAY. Hope to see you soon, Cass. Take care of yourself. – Remus_

Bye, Cassie! – Peter

 **I LOVE YOU, CASSIE. MAKE GOOD CHOICES. LOVE, YOUR SOULMATE FOREVER – JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER**

 _ **I miss you, Princess. Yours, Sirius**_

Cassie was beaming when she reached the end of the letter. Godric, she missed those boys. Even though she'd had constant contact with the Marauders and Lily, Alice, and Marlene all summer, the letters weren't the same as physically being with her friends. Her heart ached just thinking about them.

Liv smiled when Cassie looked up at her. "I received another letter from Euphemia Potter. She's invited you to stay the rest of the summer."

"Are you all right with that?"

Liv shrugged, nibbling on a piece of bacon sitting out. "You're old enough to make your own decisions, Cassie. I may be your guardian, but I'm certainly not your keeper."

Cassie smiled right back at her aunt. "Thank you."

Liv wiped her hands on her apron, but her eyes were kind when she looked at Cassie. "Go freshen up. I'll have breakfast ready when you're done."

Cassie turned to leave, but she stopped on her way out of the kitchen. On a sudden whim, she turned and wrapped her aunt in a hug.

"Thank you," she repeated, hoping Liv would understand that Cassie's gratitude extended far beyond just allowing her to stay with the Potters. By receiving her aunt's equally tight embrace, however, Cassie knew she'd gotten her point across.

Filled with more excitement than she'd had in ages, Cassie took the stairs two at a time to her bedroom on the second floor. She crossed the threshold and sat down at the simple wooden desk she'd been provided, pulling a piece of parchment toward her and dabbing her quill in ink before scrawling out a hasty reply.

 _I'll be there. Love, Cassie_

Osbourne, her tawny owl, blinked sleepily at her with amber eyes as she opened his cage and tied the post to his leg. "Here you go, Ozzy. Catch some mice while you're out, yeah? I know you're sick of the Muggle food."

The owl ruffled his feathers and hopped out of the cage. When Cassie opened her window, Ozzy spread his wings and took flight, heading west. She watched him disappear into the blue sky before she shut her window and sat back at her desk. For a moment, she drummed her fingers on the desktop, debating, before heaving a sigh and opening the top right drawer.

Atop a stack of extra parchment sat the clockwork locket. Its silver-and-ruby surface gleamed innocently up at her, and she could hear the metal gears on the inside clicking and whirring. Cassie hadn't worn it since the funeral, whenever it had mysteriously appeared again in her old bedroom at Alderfair Manor – after she'd broken it and chucked it into the Forbidden Forest to be lost forever. She hadn't tried to get rid of it again, as much as she wanted to. The locket unnerved her. There was a magic to it that went beyond anything she had ever read about, a power that could prove deadly in the wrong hands. She knew it in her gut. So if anyone was to have the locket, then maybe it was better if she kept it, to protect it from the people who would want to use it.

Pushing away the unease that grew in her belly from the locket, Cassie shut the drawer and headed into the bathroom for a shower.

The clockwork locket ticked on.

* * *

 **Please review! I'd love to know your thoughts!**

 **This was a bit of an introductory chapter, but I hope you can forgive me for how short it was. As always, there's more to come!**

 **Next Chapter: _The Return_**

 **xx**


	2. The Return

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Hello again! I know, I can't believe I updated this fast either, but being sick means I have a lot of time on my hands at the moment. I start my new semester next week though, so I probably won't be able to get updates out as quickly as this one, unfortunately :(**

 **Thank you to everyone who has followed from _The Clockwork Locket!_ It's so good to see so many of you amazing readers return for the sequel! And to all the new readers, thank you for joining this crazy journey as well!**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **The Return**

Sirius Black couldn't remember the last time he had ever been nervous.

Even when he was young, nothing could faze him. All he would do was flash an arrogant smirk, reply with a sharp quip, and take everything thrown his way in stride. It had earned him the reputation of the careless, unflappable pure-blood rebel – a reputation that was slowly being chipped away the longer he sat in the Hastings' living room.

Their arrival had started off well. Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter had used the Floo network to get from Potter Manor to the Hastings' Muggle household (after Mr. Potter had pulled a few strings with his contacts in the Department of Magical Transportation, of course), where they were greeted by a sunny room and Cassie's smiling aunt, Olivia. Despite Peter's green face, the mousy boy thankfully refrained from vomiting on the rug, and after polite introductions, Olivia had invited them to sit while she fetched some tea.

Cassie was still upstairs packing, the older witch had explained before heading to the kitchen, which left the Marauders alone in the living room, crammed onto one small blue sofa while Cassie's cousins sat on the floor, playing with building blocks. The two children had barely glanced their way, even when the Marauders had stepped out of the emerald flames in their hearth. Cassie had written in her letters that both her cousins were magical, and Sirius guessed Olivia had told them quite a bit about the Wizarding world already if they weren't even impressed by Floo travel.

But now that Cassie's aunt had returned, a cup of tea in her hands as she sat in the loveseat across from the Marauders with their own tea, Sirius Black realized that he was, in fact, nervous.

Perhaps it was because of Olivia's calculating stare as she took in the Marauders one-by-one, that razor-sharp intelligence and cutting judgement all pure-bloods seemed to possess pinning him in place. He doubted that, though. He'd dealt with enough pure-bloods in his life to be accustomed to that brain-picking gaze. Or maybe it was because of how similar Cassie and her aunt looked to one another. It was a trend he was beginning to notice; how all the Alderfair women looked like exact replicas of each other. He'd had enough of that with Cassie and her ancestor Miranda; but with Cassie's mother and aunt on top of that? It was almost too much for him to bear.

But the worst conclusion Sirius had come to since he'd stepped foot in the Hastings' house was that he was worried of how Cassie's new family might perceive him. And even worse – if they _approved_ of him.

Since when had he ever cared for someone's approval? He had never been apologetic before about who he was or what he did. But sitting on that sofa, crushed between James and Remus, Sirius Black was nervous about how he would come across to Cassie's relatives.

Bloody hell.

"You have a lovely home, Mrs. Hastings," said Remus, taking a polite sip of his tea and smiling. Sirius repressed the urge to snort; Remus John Lupin, as charming and angelic as always.

"Please, call me Liv," Cassie's aunt said. She was smiling right back at Remus, her eyes soft and kind. Sirius took a gulp of tea to hide another snort. Of course, no one could ever resist Remus and those damned eyes of his. Liv's gaze switched to her children. "Ben, Mia. Did you say hello to our guests? They're friends of Cassie."

Cassie's cousins paused in their demolition of their block-city and turned to the Marauders. The oldest, Ben, waved to them. "Hi, Cassie's friends." The Marauders waved back, but the youngest, Mia, merely sized them up.

She tilted her head. "Which one of you is Cassie's boyfriend?"

James choked on his tea. Sirius cast him an annoyed glance before summoning a nice smile for the girl, hoping it didn't look pained as he said, "That would be me."

Mia stared at him for a long moment, unimpressed. James was beginning to turn red from smothering his laughter. Sirius's smile wavered. Had he done something wrong? Why was she looking at him like that?

She scrunched her face. "I thought you were supposed to be cute?"

James laughed in earnest as Liv swooped upon her daughter. "Mia! Don't be rude!"

"Tough luck, Sirius," Remus said, slapping Sirius's knee as Peter giggled nervously beside Remus. "How does it feel to have your ego crushed into the dirt by a six-year-old?"

"From the mouths of babes," James said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh, that was brilliant!"

"Yeah," Sirius said. Mia turned her back on him – a clear dismissal – which miffed him even more. "Brilliant."

"Sorry I'm late, guys. Are we ready?"

Sirius's annoyance was gone instantly at the sound of that voice. He nearly jumped from the sofa like he'd been shocked, almost upending his teacup in his haste to stand.

Cassie stood in the entrance of the living room, a wide smile on her face and her luggage packed at her feet. Sirius's heart sputtered, then began racing double-time at the sight of her. A month – that was how long they'd been apart. Hardly a great length of time. Then why was he drinking her in like he thought he'd never see her again?

Her dark hair still hung long and loose, glimmering with shades of red and gold when it caught the afternoon sunlight streaming in through the windows. Her eyes were tired, the light in them dulled, but they were still the same lovely shade of brown, still curious and observant, never missing anything. He was relieved to see that her skin had regained some color from the sun; she'd been so pale, so pale and so sad the last he'd seen her, at her parents' funeral. But his gaze couldn't help going straight to the short skirt she was wearing and the bare legs it showed off, and his heart rioted.

She'd always been taller for a girl (there was a scary moment he'd had last term when he'd realized that she was almost at eye-level with him, but luckily, he'd had another growth spurt since then), but he'd never much paid attention to her legs; they were always hidden underneath stockings, robes, or pants, and the few dresses he'd seen her in had been modest. But there they were: smooth, tanned, and unfairly long. And toned. Had she been working out?

Sirius forced himself to stop staring, afraid that he would start drooling on Liv's rug if he continued to look at Cassie's legs. But that green top she was wearing did the same for her arms, and Godric, did it fit in all the right places…

 _Sweet Merlin,_ he thought. _Get a bloody grip on yourself, Black._

Sirius swallowed, meeting Cassie's gaze. Her eyes were gleaming when they locked with Sirius's own, and judging by the mischievous tilt to her lips, she could very well guess where his mind had been.

"Hi, Cass," Remus said warmly, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Merlin, Remus," Cassie exclaimed, holding him at arm's length. "How did you manage to grow since the last time I saw you? It's only been a few weeks!"

"Like a weed, this one," James said, clapping Remus's shoulder. "We used to be the same height last year, believe it or not. And now he's at least a head taller than me!"

Cassie didn't deign him with a response, instead tackling him into a hug. "Stop talking and hug me, nerd."

James made a big show of rolling his eyes and mouthing _See what I put up with?_ at Liv, but he was smiling as he returned Cassie's embrace.

Cassie and Peter bumped fists (which seemed to be their new thing) and grinned at each other, and suddenly it was Sirius's turn.

He'd planned out what he would say to her once he saw her again (or if they'd been alone, what he wouldn't say). But all his suave remarks, witty jokes, and cocky banter disappeared as she breezed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hello, Sirius," she said. He couldn't answer, too entranced by the way her body pressed into his and the scents of jasmine and violets that washed over him.

"Princess," he managed to say. Merlin, what was wrong with him? He couldn't even summon a simple wink?

She drew away, smiling, and he desperately wished that they weren't surrounded by people in that moment.

"Well." James clapped his hands. "Let's get this party started, shall we?" He stooped to kiss Liv's hand. "Mrs. Hastings. A pleasure. Thank you for the tea."

Liv watched, amused, as James retrieved Cassie's trunk and lugged it toward the fireplace. Cassie merely shrugged at her aunt, as if to say _Just go with it._ Liv smiled. Watching the exchange, and seeing how relaxed and unguarded Cassie was around her aunt, Sirius was relieved. He knew Cassie missed her parents terribly, but being away from the stifling pure-blood culture she was raised in…He could tell that she was thriving.

A twinge of pain went through the healing wound on his chest at the sight. He rubbed at it in annoyance. Damned thing. Just when he almost forgot about it, it would make its presence known again. He looked up to see Cassie watching him and dropped his hand at the question in her gaze.

 _Later,_ his eyes promised.

After a moment, she nodded.

While Remus and Peter collected the rest of Cassie's luggage, James vanished in a blur of green flames and a shout of, "Potter Manor!" Remus and Peter followed, leaving just Sirius alone with Cassie and her family.

Sensing that they wanted some privacy, Sirius cleared his throat and handed the pouch of Floo powder to Cassie. "Just follow when you're ready."

She nodded and took the pouch, then pecked his cheek quickly. "See you soon."

Sirius finally seemed to regain some sense over himself, for he winked at her before strolling to the fireplace. He waved to Liv. "It was nice meeting you." Ben had the decency to wave good-bye to him, but Mia watched him step into the hearth like he was a particularly nasty slug she wished to crush beneath her shoe.

Ignoring the death glare he was receiving from a six-year-old girl, Sirius stepped into the emerald flames, declared "Potter Manor!" and disappeared in a blink.

* * *

"Is there a reason why Mia looks like she wants to pummel my boyfriend into the dirt?"

Liv snorted. "I couldn't tell you, Cassie." She shrugged. "Little bugger's headstrong, though, I'll give her that."

Cassie laughed. "No kidding."

She'd already hugged her cousins good-bye. It was strange, how much she'd grown to care for them over the course of a month. But they were her family now. And after all Will had done…

Well, she'd choose two innocent children over her brother any day.

Liv stood close to her in front of the fireplace. The flames had died down since Sirius had been whisked away, but Cassie still held the last of the Floo powder in her hands. She turned to Liv.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything. I know it can't have been easy, taking me in so quickly and unexpectedly, but I appreciate everything you've done for me. Will you tell David I said that?"

"Of course." Liv brushed a lock of Cassie's hair behind her shoulder. "I want you to know that you'll always have a place here, Cassie. You're family." She gave her a watery smile. "I'd do anything for you."

Cassie nodded, her throat tight. She prepared to step into the fireplace, but she paused.

"Did my mother ever try to contact you?" she asked.

Liv blinked. "Initially, yes. Eleanor…was more forgiving than our parents were when I turned my back on our family name." She sighed. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, Cassie, but I always suspected that your father had a hand in keeping Eleanor's life separate from mine. Your mother and I…we loved each other. More than sisters typically do sometimes. We'd always been very close. But these last few years…our communication waned. The last time I spoke to her was on her birthday in April."

Her aunt looked so devastated that Cassie could do nothing but reach out and hold her. Liv trembled in her arms for a brief moment, but she sniffed and pulled away.

"Go," Liv said, smiling softly. "Be with your friends. No need to sit here and watch an old witch cry."

Cassie scoffed. "If you're old, then Dumbledore must be a living fossil by comparison."

Liv laughed, and her smile was so reminiscent of Eleanor's that Cassie felt a swift punch to her gut. She stepped into the hearth so her aunt wouldn't see her tears.

"I'll try and see you before I leave for Hogwarts, all right?" she said, fishing in the pouch for the powder.

"All right, love. Be safe," Liv said. She suddenly grinned. "And you failed to mention how handsome your boyfriend was when you spoke of him. Or that he was a bloody _Black._ So you can look forward to _that_ conversation next time I see you."

Cassie grimaced. "Sorry?"

Liv shook her head, but blew her a kiss. "Take care, Cassie."

Cassie gave them all one last wave. "Love you! I'll send goodies from Hogsmeade when I'm back at school!"

Ben and Mia cheered as Cassie threw down the powder and the hearth erupted with emerald flames. "Potter Manor!"

And then she was spinning. So fast, so dizzying, that she thought she might lose her lunch as she tumbled out of the fireplace, about to fall face-first into a stark tile floor. Luckily, before she could break her nose, strong arms caught her and hauled her back to her feet, steadying her as she swayed.

"Easy, Princess," Sirius said. He smirked at her. "Try not to puke, yeah? Minty just had these floors cleaned."

"Who's Minty?" she said, blinking to put the tilting world back in focus.

"The house-elf," James supplied. "A mean one, too; I thought she was going to wring my neck when I accidentally wore mismatching socks the other day."

"Serves you right," Cassie said. "Mismatching socks are a sin."

James held up his hands. "Apologies, Princess. I didn't know you were a part of the fashion police now."

She rolled her eyes. "My mother was the editor of the Wizarding world's most influential fashion and gossip magazine. You think you have it bad from your house-elf? Try growing up in my place."

"Valid." James grinned. "But you're here now, Princess! Let's do something! We can swim, play Quidditch, get drunk—"

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon, James," Cassie said. "Your alcoholism is showing."

"Oh, Cass." James threw his arms around her. "I missed you."

"It's been a month, freak," she said, groaning under his weight. "I can start sending you my used panties if you're that obsessed with me. Though I expect payment."

Peter was staring at Cassie in horror. "Wait. Is that really a thing?"

"Now look what you've done, Cassie," Sirius said, shaking his head. "You're starting to give poor Wormtail ideas."

Peter turned red. "She is _not_ —"

"Anyway," Remus broke in. "James is right. We should do something."

"Agreed," Cassie said. "But first." She held out her arms. "Group hug."

And when the Marauders crashed into her with laughs and tangled limbs, she felt like she was home.

* * *

Cassie was roused from her evening doze by a knock coming from her bathroom door. "What?"

She was splayed out on the bed in one of the Potters' many guest bedrooms, freshly clothed and dried after the luxurious shower she'd taken. They'd spent the day swimming in a watering hole on the property, and she was drained and content from an afternoon in the sun.

The door opened and Sirius padded in, barefoot, wet-haired, and clad in a thin T-shirt and pajama pants. Cassie was so tired she could barely muster any drool at the sight of his muscles straining against the fabric of his shirt, but she still eyed him appreciatively as he plopped on the mattress beside her.

"I knew I was sharing a bathroom with somebody, but I didn't know it was you," she said, her voice muffled slightly by the pillow.

Sirius grinned. "You can thank James for playing matchmaker on that one."

She hummed, closing her eyes again. Sirius brushed back the damp strands of her hair, and she nearly purred when his fingers traced along her scalp, sending shivers down her spine. She nudged closer to his hand and he chuckled. "You're like a cat, y'know that?"

She arched her spine, stretching like a feline would. When she lowered herself back to the mattress, Sirius was watching her with dark eyes. "Have you started wearing ridiculously short things just to torture me, Princess?"

Cassie looked down to her pajama bottoms – which _were_ quite short – and bare legs. She raised her brows at Sirius, though her belly squirmed in excitement at the look in his gaze. "It's summer, and it's hot, Sirius. I'm not going to wear trousers because you can't control yourself."

"Oh, I can control myself." He hooked his leg under her stomach and flipped her on to her back. She giggled as he pulled her up into his lap and secured his arms around her, though her laugh turned into a gasp when his lips touched her neck. "I just don't want to."

"Smooth," she joked, though her spine locked when his lips went from grazing the side of her throat to the shell of her ear. "Very smooth, Sirius Black."

"What?" His hands rubbed soothing circles over her arms, and she tilted her head back onto his shoulder, breathing in the fresh clean scent of him – mint and something like pine. "I missed you."

She smiled, keeping her eyes closed as his lips danced across her cheekbone and down her jaw. "I missed you, too."

His arms tightened around her. "Tell me you were okay at your aunt's house."

"I was." She squeezed his hand in reassurance. "Really. It was…nice. For nothing to be happening for once. Almost feeling like I was…normal."

"Good." He nipped her earlobe, and her toes curled.

"What about you?"

She felt his muscles tense and opened her eyes. He was looking down at her, his silver eyes darkened to iron. Her breath hitched at the intensity in his gaze.

"Tomorrow," he said finally, relaxing. "Let's talk about it tomorrow."

She nodded, reaching up and threading her fingers through his wet hair. His lips continued, across her forehead, down the bridge of her nose, as his hands began to roam up her sides, his thumbs circling across her rib cage, brushing the swells of her breasts. She shifted in his arms, heat pooling in her core, and he let out a soft groan.

"Just tell me when," he said, kissing the bare skin of her shoulder, "and I'll stop."

That had always been the agreement between them. The barrier. Despite the few passionate snogs they'd had, Cassie had never let it extend beyond that, and Sirius had never pressured her for anything more. She wasn't scared of him; she knew that. And Godric, she always wanted to push against that barrier, wanted to let him have all of her, but she just…couldn't. Not yet. That was another level that would be added to their relationship, one that needed to be handled delicately in all its complexity, and she couldn't do that right now. Not when she was too busy sorting through every other shitty aspect of her life.

"Okay." Her voice was breathless as she lifted her mouth to his, but he caught it hungrily. She tightened her grip in his hair, and his hands moved to cup her breasts, his tongue darting out to flick her lower lip.

She opened her mouth to him, and he swept in, taking all that she offered. Cassie had almost forgotten how easy it was to get lost in him, how easy it was for him to melt her with his touch and then build her back up again. Godric, she'd missed this. She'd missed _him._

They continued like that for a while, until the shadows in her room turned from blue to black, and the stars had come out to shine. Afterwards, they rested in each other's arms, occasionally playing with the other's hair, too tired to move, but too content to sleep just yet.

Sirius kissed the top of her head. "We haven't talked about Will. Do you want to?"

Just hearing her brother's name sent a spike of pain and fury through her chest. She knew she would have to talk about him at some point, but right now, he was the furthest thing from her mind.

So instead she just kissed Sirius's hand and said, "Tomorrow."

* * *

 **Please review! I love hearing your thoughts!**

 **I apologize for the lack of Marauders, but they'll be here for a while to come.**

 **Next Chapter: _The Rebel_**

 **xx**


	3. The Rebel

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Welcome back! Thanks for all the new favorites/follows, and thank you to everyone who reviewed last time!**

 **And thank you to the guest who reminded about OWL results! Good eye ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 **The Rebel**

The red room smelled of sweet death.

Blood coated everything. Its cloying scent and vivid brightness were splashed across the walls and splattered on the windows. It pooled on the wood floors and seeped through the cracks. Cassie could feel it sticking to her bare feet as she crossed the reeking room, heading for the grand bed that dominated her parents' suite in Alderfair Manor.

The white silk curtains that surrounded the bed had been torn open, hanging in tatters from the bedposts. Blood dripped from the hangings and onto the floor. Cassie could hear every drop of that blood, could see nothing but red, where once the white silk had fluttered in the mild summer breezes when her mother would throw the balcony doors wide to the world.

Shaking, Cassie pulled one of the drenched hangings aside. The bed was saturated with blood. Bile rose in her throat at the sickly-sweet smell of it, the horrid crimson of it. But when she saw her parents' bodies, so still and so red, she vomited everything that was in her. Again and again.

The shredded flesh and muscle of their chests, the cracked and broken bones that jutted from their ribcages, the gaping holes where their hearts had been… Cassie heaved – with bile, with sobs, with screams.

And across the room, Will watched it all with blank eyes and a bloodied heart in each hand.

"I had to do it, Sister," he said. His voice was agony; her brother's voice, but spoken from the lips of a stranger. "He made me do it."

Cassie looked down at herself, at the blood that now covered every inch of her. And when she looked back to her brother, his brown eyes were gone, replaced with scarlet irises and slit pupils. The eyes of the serpent.

Lord Voldemort smiled at her. "He will break, Cassie Alderfair." The Dark Lord raised her parents' hearts in his white hands. "And so will you."

He squeezed, and the hearts burst. Cassie was choking on the blood now, drowning in it, all while those red eyes watched her mercilessly—

Cassie thought she was still drowning when she jerked awake, gasping, but she was just lying facedown on her pillow. She peeled her face from the pillow, cold sweat clinging to her skin in a thin layer as she sat up, gulping down air.

She was alone when she woke, which was a small grace. Sirius must have snuck back to his own room sometime in the night after she'd fallen asleep. Good. He didn't need to witness one of her nightmare episodes. And she shuddered to imagine the wrath of Mrs. Potter if she'd found them sleeping in the same bed together, even if they hadn't done anything more. James's mother was lax and understanding about a lot of things, but she was smart enough to recognize what might occur if she had a bunch of hormonal teenagers under her roof, especially when two were quite obviously dating.

Cassie pulled her damp hair off her neck, still breathing to steady herself. She pressed the heel of her palm between her eyes, shutting them tightly and trying to banish the red she saw every time she blinked. Her throat felt thick, as if she were still choking on that blood from her dream.

She flung off the tangled sheets and crossed to the bathroom, making sure the door that connected to Sirius's room was locked before switching on the sink faucet. The bathroom was large, with double sinks, a clawed porcelain tub, a sectioned-off portion for the toilet, and an expansive tiled shower that matched the rich beige color in the rest of the space. The shower was open to the room, built into the wall itself, with only a thin blue curtain one could draw for privacy. She thought about taking another shower, just to wash the slick, sticky feel of sweat and imagined blood off, but she couldn't summon the strength yet. Instead, she drank a few handfuls of cold water from the sink, and rubbed the rest over her face and the back of her neck. When she was done, she looked into the mirror and found her reflection staring back, water dripping from her face.

Brown eyes, not red. She shut her eyes again, willing the image of the serpent eyes to go away. She'd been having dreams about them for weeks – Lord Voldemort and those red eyes, Will and the butchered bodies of their parents.

Liv had held Cassie's hand when her aunt read her the reports. _No sign of forced entry. No bodily injuries. Wand collected from William Alderfair confirmed that cause of death was the Killing Curse for both Lukas and Eleanor Alderfair._ But every night, Cassie still dreamed about all that blood and her brother standing, cold and triumphant, over the dead bodies of their mother and father.

Still feeling shaky and queasy, Cassie rinsed her face again and drank more water. It calmed her, slightly, but she couldn't stop seeing red – red blood, red irises.

She forced herself to the shower and turned it on, as hot as it would go. She stripped off her damp pajamas and climbed inside, savoring the sting of the water on her skin. She could imagine the blood sluicing from her skin, swirling down the drain, leaving her only tanned and cleansed once more.

And if she cried, she did not feel it.

* * *

She must have woken quite early, for when she was dried and dressed, the house was still silent as she crept out of her bedroom. Peter's snores echoed down the hallway, and she had to pause for a moment, reminding herself that her friends were still here, that they were all alive and safe. She hugged her arms close to herself, basking in that knowledge, when the click of another door opening made her turn.

Remus emerged from his bedroom at the end of the hall, showered and dressed like she was, and he waved when he saw her. He walked down the hall to meet her (which took a few moments, as the hall was enormous), but when he reached her, Cassie flung her arms around his neck without warning.

"Er, good morning to you too?" he said, patting her back as she squeezed him, hard. He chuckled. "Cass, if you're trying to break my neck, I think you're succeeding." She finally pulled back, and he grinned at her, puzzled. "What was that about?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. I just really needed that."

He chuckled again, slinging an arm over her shoulder as he led them downstairs. "All right, then. What are you doing up so early?"

She poked his side. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Well, unlike some other people I know—" he pointed up to the third floor, where the rest of the Marauders were still sleeping "—I don't enjoy sleeping my holiday away. I like to make it last for as long as possible."

"Godric, Remus. How do you make even your _holiday_ sound responsible?" she said in disgust.

Remus just laughed, the sound echoing throughout the homely house as they continued descending the stairs, and Cassie had to smile. Remus had always been the one who could cheer her up without ever seeming to try. He had also been the first one out of the Marauders to befriend her, and that bond went deep.

"A talent, I s'pose," he said, shrugging. They reached the ground floor and paused, as Remus turned Cassie toward him by her shoulders, suddenly serious. "How are you doing, Cassie?"

She wanted to lie; to brush him off and pretend that everything was fine, even when it wasn't. She didn't want to speak about any of the horrible things that had happened in the recent weeks. But Remus knew her better than that. He was one of her closest friends – more than that. A brother. She owed him the truth.

"Do you want the honest answer or the ugly answer?" she asked. She tried for a smile, but it wobbled.

"All of it," he said. His green eyes were soft when he looked at her, but edged with a solid determination – the willingness to see every part of someone – the good, the bad, and the horrible. "You never have to hide anything from me, Cassie. I want you to know that."

And it was that – the sincerity of his tone, the conviction of it – that had her spilling everything to him, like a dam that had finally burst.

They were alone in the Potters' foyer, the morning sunshine dappling their faces through the high latticed windows, but Cassie still whispered, still wrapped her arms around herself to stave off the chill inside, as she confessed everything.

"I see them every night," she said. "My parents – their bodies broken, blood everywhere, their hearts ripped out of their chests. And Will – he's there too. He holds their hearts. He tells me that Voldemort made him do it, that he had to. And then Voldemort himself is there. He always says the same things: that he will break me, just as he will break Will." She heaved a shuddering breath. "It's so terrible, Remus. Knowing that if I had just tried _harder_ —"

"No," he said firmly, shaking his head. "We're not starting down that road, Cassie. What happened was awful, yes – I would never claim otherwise – but we can't start blaming ourselves for things we were powerless to change. You did everything Will asked of you – _more._ Nothing that happened is your fault."

She shuddered. "If I'd made him _stay_ —"

"—Then Voldemort would have the Gauntlet of Gryffindor, and whatever he was planning to use it for would have been set in motion," Remus interrupted. _"You_ did that, Cassie. Will may have given you the pieces, but you were the one who put them together and destroyed that gauntlet. You were the one who hung Carlisle out to dry and got rid of her." He smiled softly. "What you've done is incredible. I don't think anyone else could've done what you did – could go what you're going through – with such strength and boldness."

"I'm not a hero," she said, her voice bitter, brittle.

"No," he said, "you're more than that."

She had to turn away then, even if he'd already seen the tears pooling in her eyes. She stared out the windows, at the bright sunlight, and wished she could believe that herself.

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair.

Not because of any tension, but because Cassie and the four boys sitting around the dining table just had a more pressing preoccupation that concerned food.

Cassie shoved a forkful of pancakes in her mouth and hid her obnoxious chewing behind a napkin as Mrs. Potter took the seat across from her, sipping her morning coffee. Mr. Potter sat at the head of the table, reading _The Daily Prophet,_ the rustle of the paper breaking the silence occasionally, along with the scrape of forks against plates as the five teenagers in his house wolfed down their breakfast at an alarming rate.

"Anything interesting?" James asked from beside his mother, his mouth stuffed with eggs and potatoes. He jerked his chin to the newspaper in his father's hands.

Mrs. Potter gave a long-suffering sigh before her husband could reply. "James, dear, we've spoken about this. Please don't talk with your mouth full."

James frowned, though he swallowed at his mother's behest. Next to Cassie, Sirius made a motion with his wrist that resembled cracking a whip when James's parents weren't looking. Taking advantage of their blind eye, as his parents traded a significant look, James shot Sirius a vulgar gesture that had the latter snorting into his orange juice.

Cassie pretended not to notice the way Fleamont Potter glanced to her before speaking as Mrs. Potter turned away from her husband, lips pursed. Cassie knew that James's father was an Auror, but she didn't know whether he'd had any sort of interaction with Will prior to his trial and imprisonment. She hadn't bothered to ask, either; she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know anyway.

"Nothing, aside from the usual." Mr. Potter was an older man; grey had overtaken the black in his hair – just as wild and unruly as his son's – and laugh lines and wrinkles were etched into his dark skin, but Cassie didn't think she'd ever seen him so aged before as he shook his head, frustration and exhaustion battling in his eyes. "More Muggle and Muggle-born attacks. More disappearances." His brown eyes – encircled by a pair of spectacles – cut to Cassie. "Claudia Carlisle has been reported as one of the missing."

Cassie's head snapped up. _"What?"_ The last she heard, Carlisle was being treated in St Mungo's, after Cassie had nearly blown her head off using five wands on her former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. She'd assumed Carlisle would have crawled back to Voldemort and her fellow Death Eaters by now if she was out of the hospital.

Mr. Potter took off his glasses, absentmindedly cleaning them with his shirt. "Carlisle was discharged from St Mungo's ten days ago," he said. He glanced to Cassie, then at the boys, his expression solemn. "What I am about to tell you all is highly confidential – it is not public knowledge as of yet. But seeing as it concerns you personally—" again, he looked at Cassie "—I will tell you. Please do not take this lightly."

They all nodded. Cassie waited, her throat tight, as Mr. Potter replaced his glasses and said, "Claudia Carlisle is dead. Her body was found abandoned on a riverbank up north. I won't give you any details but…Death Eaters are suspected." His mouth settled into a firm line. "Given what she tried to accomplish for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named this past year – and failing – it seems that her usefulness to him came to an end."

Cassie set down her fork, her hunger gone. Carlisle was dead. The witch who had tormented her all last year – had tried to _kill_ her – was dead. Relief washed over her. Once, she may have pitied the fate the witch had met. But that was before Cassie had dealt with Voldemort. Before her parents had been murdered. Before Will. Now she felt nothing but relief and a cruel sort of satisfaction that she would never have to deal with Carlisle again.

She wondered what her mother would have thought at her lack of remorse.

She decided she didn't care. Not when Carlisle was unable to threaten her friends or her ever again.

Sirius brushed a hand across her knee, his eyes on her face. When she looked to him, she saw her own feelings reflected there: relief, and vindictive satisfaction. It made her chest loosen a bit, knowing that he wasn't looking at her and seeing a vengeful monster who delighted in her enemy's death. And after exchanging glances with the other Marauders, she knew they felt the same.

Cassie picked her fork up. "And any news from Dumbledore?"

She posed the question lightly, but Mr. Potter frowned at her. She shrugged at him half-heartedly; it wasn't entirely her fault that she knew too much about Dumbledore's plans and his secret army to oppose Voldemort and the Death Eaters – the Order of the Phoenix. Perhaps she'd pushed and prodded here and there for information, but most of her discovery had been accidental. Still, that didn't mean Mr. Potter – a confirmed Order member – approved of her knowledge. Especially when she, his son, and the others were already itching to join.

"You know I'm not allowed to divulge that information, Cassie," he said, face stern.

"Well, it was worth a shot," she said, helping herself to another bite of pancakes.

Mr. Potter shook his head in some exasperation. "You already know that the Ministry is in shambles. Minister Minchum puts on a good show to the public and the press, but everyone inside knows that his grip on You-Know-Who is slippery, at best. You-Know-Who's spies are everywhere." His face shadowed. "These are dark times. No one knows who to trust anymore. And I fear it's only getting worse."

Cassie shared a dark look with the Marauders. Their breakfast was forgotten, nearly cold, as they absorbed Mr. Potter's ominous words. Mrs. Potter cleared her throat.

"I think that's enough for one day, my love," she said, resting a delicate hand atop her husband's. "You'll be late for work if you stay any longer."

Mr. Potter nodded, seeming to shake off whatever worry weighed on him at his wife's touch. "Right you are, darling. I'd best be off." He stood from his seat and nodded to the five teenagers sitting around his table. "It would do well for you all not to dwell on these sorts of things. Be aware, but your priorities should be on school right now. Not fighting." He fixed them all with a serious gaze, his eyes lingering on Sirius and James more than the others. "Enjoy the time you have together. Try not to worry."

And with that, he bid them good-bye, stooping to kiss the top of James's head and ruffling his already wild hair before Mrs. Potter escorted him from the room, to the fireplace where he would Floo to the Ministry of Magic.

"I don't think I'm hungry anymore," Peter said, pushing his plate away from him with a faint expression.

Remus drummed his fingers on the table, lost in thought. "I can't believe Carlisle's dead."

Sirius snorted. "I can. The witch reaped what she sowed, in my opinion. I think we should celebrate."

Remus gave him a disapproving look, but James was nodding. "If her being killed means that she can't get to Cassie anymore, then I'll happily dance on her grave."

But Cassie was staring at her plate, contemplating. "Even if Carlisle is out of the picture, that doesn't mean that Voldemort has forgotten about me," she said. The bright, sunny room seemed to chill when she uttered the Dark Lord's name. She thought of the clockwork locket, hidden away upstairs, locked in the bottom of her trunk. "He knows that Will betrayed him by helping me – by giving me the locket that was meant for him. A gift from his ancestor. Salazar Slytherin."

The Marauders' faces hardened. She knew they were remembering that night in the Forbidden Forest, with the well and the Fountain of Youth, and Miranda finally getting her revenge on Slytherin for killing her lover, Cassie's own ancestor – Godric Gryffindor.

"We've been out of school for weeks," James said. "If he'd wanted to take the locket from you, he would've done it already."

"And there's no way he could know that the locket still exists," Remus pointed out. "You told Carlisle the truth at the time – it was destroyed. How could he know that it returned, and that it came back to be in your possession?"

Remus's reasoning made sense, but Cassie couldn't shake the unease that clung to her like a dense fog. She had a feeling, deep down, that the locket's role was far from over in whatever grand scheme was unfolding. And if Voldemort still desired it for himself…

"Look what the owl post just dropped off!" Mrs. Potter sang as she swept back into the dining room, not noticing the tension between her son and his friends. She waved six individually addressed envelopes in her hand. Cassie frowned when she realized that two had her name. "O.W.L. results! Let's see!"

She handed out the envelopes with a beaming smile and sat back in her seat, watching them excitedly.

Cassie recognized the letter from Hogwarts by the seal and opened that one first, setting the other aside for the time being. Suddenly feeling as queasy as Peter looked, she unfolded the parchment that had been inside.

 **Ordinary Wizarding Level Results**

 _Pass Grades:_

Outstanding (O)

Exceeds Expectations (E)

Acceptable (A)

 _Fail Grades:_

Poor (P)

Dreadful (D)

Troll (T)

 _Cassiopeia Marie Alderfair has achieved:_

Astronomy (A)

Care of Magical Creatures (O)

Charms (E)

Defense Against the Dark Arts (O)

Herbology (E)

History of Magic (P)

Potions (E)

Transfiguration (EXEMPT)

Cassie stared at her results, her muscles relaxing further with each glance back over. She'd done better than she thought she had – a lot better. She ignored her History of Magic grade (it'd been a dreadfully boring class anyway, and she hadn't planned on taking the N.E.W.T. level courses for it) and Transfiguration, given that she'd gotten the news of her parents' deaths the night before that exam. But she'd passed everything else! And two "Outstandings" in Care of Magical Creatures and Defense Against the Dark Arts…

Sirius snorted, tossing his parchment on the table. "Passed everything besides Divination and History of Magic, but who cares about those? And two Outstandings in Defense and Transfiguration." He waggled his brows at Remus. "What about you, Mr. Perfect Prefect?"

Remus handed Sirius his own parchment, and Sirius groaned in disgust. "Of course. O's in everything. You sicken me."

"That's wonderful, Remus!" Mrs. Potter broke in. Remus flushed pink. "And you did a fantastic job as well, Sirius. Six O.W.L.'s are impressive!"

Sirius beamed. "Why, thank you, Mum."

Cassie looked to him, brows high. She was aware that Sirius considered James's parents more family than his own, but she'd never heard him call Mrs. Potter 'Mum'. Sirius didn't catch her eye, instead saying to Peter, "Cough up, Pete. You're being as quiet as a mouse."

Peter didn't even grin at the pun. "Failed History of Magic, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures," he said, dejected. "Barely scraped by in everything else."

"Ah, don't worry about it too much," Sirius said bracingly. "At least you passed fifth year!"

"Yeah." Peter didn't sound convinced, but Sirius turned to James.

"And?" he prompted.

James shrugged. "Not too shabby. I passed everything, even History of Magic. Transfiguration was exempted, of course." After Snape had sent him to the Hospital Wing. He grinned. "And I got an O for Defense."

"Oh, James dear, how lovely!" Mrs. Potter squealed. She got up and hugged her son tightly. James grimaced while his friends snickered. "All those O.W.L.'s! And now you're going to be in sixth year?" She sniffed, and James's expression shifted to one of utmost horror. "Where has the time gone? I remember when you were still just a pudgy little babe in my arms—"

James cleared his throat loudly. "Yeah, thanks, Mum. You can let go now."

Mrs. Potter squeezed her son one last time before she released him. James attempted to flatten his hair to no avail, his cheeks red.

"What about you, Cassie?" Mrs. Potter asked.

"O's in Defense and Care of Magical Creatures, E's in Charms, Herbology, and Potions, an A for Astronomy, and a P in History of Magic," she rattled off. She repeated James from earlier. "Not too shabby."

"That's great, dear," Mrs. Potter said. She nodded to Cassie's other letter. "That one's from the Ministry. I recognized the seal." She stood up. "I've got to message your father, James, and tell him about your stellar results. I'll see you all later for lunch."

Mrs. Potter departed, and Cassie was grateful for her prudent exit. She flipped the letter from the Ministry over in her hands, wondering what it could contain. The last time she'd received a letter from the Ministry, it had been a summons by the Wizengamot – an offer to attend her brother's trial. Not as a witness, but as a guest, to watch her brother be sentenced to life in Azkaban. She'd burned the letter and hadn't bothered to show up for the trial.

She looked up and found the Marauders watching her. She took a deep breath.

"Let's get this over with," she said, and tore the envelope open. She scanned it quickly, reading through it twice just to be sure she hadn't missed anything, before setting it down and breathing out a sigh of relief.

"Well?" James said. "What is it? Who's it from?"

"A man named Newell Gorgon from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." She tapped the parchment. "Apparently he was the one who presided over my parents' will, and wants to speak to me about it." She quirked her lips. "I guess I'll have to contact Liv. He'll want her present since she's my guardian."

"Will you have to go to the Ministry?" Remus asked.

"Probably." Cassie tapped the letter again. "He didn't say anything about a house call. Just to respond and let him know when I'm available."

She stifled a sigh. She'd put off any talk of her parents' will for as long as possible, due to the vast amounts of wealth, investments, properties, and equities she'd be forced to sift through. And not to mention all the legal jargon that would come with it. If Will were here, the responsibility would fall to him; but since he wasn't, she now had to deal with it.

She made a face at the letter. "Growing up sucks."

They all laughed, and any earlier tension was forgotten once James suggested they go back to the watering hole and swim for the afternoon. Cassie began to follow the others out to the grounds when Sirius held her back with a hand on her elbow.

She turned, brows raised in question, to see him gazing out at the patio and their friends beyond, racing into the lush green hills that covered most of the acreage of Potter Manor. A crease had appeared between his eyebrows – a sure sign that he was troubled – and his grey eyes were heavy with a hidden storm behind them.

"Can I show you something?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. She wondered if this had anything to do with his promise from last night about talking tomorrow as he led the way out of Potter Manor, circling around the large house until they came upon an old but spacious shed.

She gave him a sidelong glance. "This isn't some attempt to lure me somewhere private in order to undress me, is it?"

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You'll see."

Cassie's smirk faded. Sirius hadn't even responded to her flirtatious banter like he usually did. Something was definitely up with him.

They approached the shed. Though the masonry had seen better days, it still looked sturdy, and just as inviting as the rest of the Potters' home. Sirius unlatched the doors. They swung open to reveal a seldom-used space that just seemed like a place for extra storage, going by the dusty boxes and trunks shoved against the walls and the scattered bits of broken or damaged furniture perhaps too sentimental to throw out entirely. But what caught Cassie's attention was the rusty motorbike squatting in the midst of it all.

She instantly recognized the Muggle machine from the many pin-up posters Sirius had splattered on the walls of his bedroom at Grimmauld Place and Gryffindor dormitory, though fortunately it was devoid of any scantily-clad supermodels. It looked old, its chrome pipes and handlebars stained with rust, and its leather seat cracked and aged. The headlight casing was splintered – as if someone had chucked a rock at it and broken it – and the tires were worn thin.

Cassie gave her boyfriend a skeptical look. "This is what you wanted to show me? A piece of Muggle junk?"

Sirius grinned, and some of the light had returned to his eyes as he patted the motorbike's seat. "This isn't just a Muggle piece of junk, Cass. This is _my_ Muggle piece of junk."

"Uh, okay." She frowned. "That still doesn't explain why it's hanging out in the Potters' shed, or how it even came to be in your possession in the first place."

He stroked the motorbike with a lover's caress. "When James and I went into the city a few weeks ago, I saw it sitting on the side of the road, a 'For Sale' sign stuck to its window. It was love at first sight." He grinned. "I brought it back here to fix it up. Maybe put some magical modifications on it. Who knows?" He shrugged. "All I know is that she's mine now."

Cassie felt a wry smile tug at her lips. "And does 'she' have a name?"

"Not yet. But I'll think of one." He studied the motorbike as if puzzling out just what he would name it, and Cassie's grin stretched into a smirk.

"It's funny; most girls are scared of the 'other woman' in relationships. But I never expected my competitor to be a motorbike."

Sirius chuckled. "Trust me; no one is replacing you. Not even this lovely bird."

Cassie circled the motorbike as Sirius wiped some grime from the handlebars with the hem of his shirt. There was something inherently masculine about the gesture that had her biting her lip, returning her gaze to the bike.

"What are you going to do with it?" she asked. "You can't take it home, obviously. Your parents would likely scalp you."

His face shuttered, his small smile flickering. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "That's what I wanted to speak to you about."

Cassie was instantly worried. "Why? Did something happen at home?"

He chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"What happened?"

All the tension she had seen in him last night at the mention of his family returned. She could see it in the way that his muscles flexed, and his jaw clenched. He blew out a breath.

"If I show you something, will you promise not to freak out?"

"It depends on what it is."

He rubbed a hand down his face. "Cassie. I know how you are. You're the calmest person I know until you get angry. I'm just asking you not to fly into a rage or anything."

Her blood was already boiling, her mind whirring with the possibilities of what he was going to show her, but she forced herself to nod. "I promise."

He took a deep breath – bracing himself – before he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off in one swift motion. Any other time, Cassie probably would have started drooling at the canvas of smooth olive skin and sleek, toned muscles of her boyfriend's torso. But when she saw the angry red mark marring that flawless skin, gouged deep from his left pectoral to his right collarbone, and saw the shattered shame and pain in his eyes, something within her snapped.

Sirius was right. Cassie could be a calm, rational person. She usually was a majority of the time. But that wound on his body, a mark caused by only the most vicious and cruel magic, carved there by someone, intentionally, plunged her into a deep cavern of horror and fury.

"Who did this?" she asked quietly. She already knew the answer, could already guess who would be so malicious, but she wanted to hear him say it. Confirm it, so she could tear that witch into pieces with her bare hands.

Sirius smiled – a grim and bitter thing. "My mother dearest, of course."

The scar was brutal. Puckered and shiny with still-healing skin. It looked as if he'd let it knit closed by itself, without the aid of magic to heal it faster. Her blood turned red-hot.

"I'll kill her," she swore softly.

Despite the severity of the situation, despite the horrible scar, Sirius still half-smiled. "Are you ever going to tell me where you store all of that anger?"

"Don't make jokes," she snapped. She stalked to where he stood leaning against his bike. She laid her fingers on his scar, and he hissed, more from surprise at her touch than pain. The pink skin there was silky soft, but she could feel the ferocity, the viciousness, that leaked from the wound. Like whatever Dark magic had dealt the blow was still residing in him, festering.

"Why haven't you let someone heal it?" she demanded. "Your mother carved this into your flesh with Dark magic. Scars like this take longer to heal naturally when the Darkness is feeding on your negative emotions." She grit her teeth. "You shouldn't have to suffer, Sirius. Let Mrs. Potter take a look at it."

"It's a reminder," Sirius said. His fingers closed around her hand, pulling it gently away from the ugly wound. "It happened a week after your parents' funeral." His eyes traveled away from hers, looking beyond her – remembering. "I got into it with my mother. My father couldn't care less." He snorted. "He just sat there and watched, drinking his whiskey."

Cassie listened, twining her fingers with his own as he continued, still staring over her shoulder. Anger quivered in her bones, making her shake, but she clutched his hand tighter.

"It was the same rubbish as usual – how Muggles are filth and pure-bloods are superior. I made my usual remarks, my same arguments. But she didn't listen. And then she called your parents weak."

Cassie sucked in a sharp breath, feeling as if she'd been dealt a blow across her face.

"She said that if they'd joined with Voldemort, that if they'd taken a stronger stance on blood superiority, then they'd still be alive. And that your brother wouldn't have had to kill them for being cowards.

"I was furious. I got my wand out, and she laughed at me. Too much wine. She'd always drank too much wine."

He trembled in her grasp. Silver lined his eyes.

"She said that she was disappointed in me – first for being in Gryffindor, then for not acting like the perfect pure-blood like my brother." He scowled. "She said that she could overlook my blood traitor and half-blood friends – mongrels, she called them. That there was still time to mold me into a noble Black. But she called you a coward's daughter. And I snapped.

"I didn't curse her, but Merlin, I wish I had. I told her – told _them_ – that I was done being a Black. That I was sick of our family, and every sadist and egoist in it. I grabbed my things. Told them I was going to James's, and that I wasn't coming back. And my mother just laughed. Laughed, and said that I wasn't a true Black – that I never could be. That my blood was dirty, tainted." He shuddered. "She said she wanted to see what color I would bleed before I left. If it was red or _mud."_ He spat the word. "So she cut me open. Let me stand there and bleed out like a pig while she ranted about – awful things. Vile things. Things I don't even want to repeat."

He closed his eyes, and a single tear slipped out, sliding down his pale cheek.

"I begged Reg to come with me," he whispered. "Got down on my knees and _begged._ I didn't want to leave him behind, Cassie – to _rot_ in that place, with Mother whispering into his ear, filling his head with lies and twisted things. But he said he couldn't – go with me. That he had to stay."

Something in Cassie's chest cracked. It reminded her of what she'd said to Will before. How she'd begged him to stay with her, to run away with her.

Sirius clenched her hand so tightly it hurt, but she didn't say anything as he went on.

"I ran away, Cassie. I've been living with James ever since these last few weeks. No doubt I'm disowned now." He grit his teeth. "I'm so sorry – for telling you like this. But after everything with your parents, Will…I didn't want you to worry about me. I didn't – want you to feel sorry for me."

"No," she murmured. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him close, mindful of his injury. She'd seen him cry once – this past year, when he'd admitted that he was lost and didn't know what he was doing with his life. It had frightened her then, but this time she only felt a fierce need to protect wash over her. She brushed her fingers through his hair as he dropped his head on her shoulder and gave in, breaking down. "Shh. It's okay. It's okay."

"I left him," he said, his voice raw through his tears. "I left him in there, Cassie. I left him with those – _snakes."_

"Regulus will be fine," she said. "He's strong, Sirius. He'll be all right." She thought of the younger Black brother. The Slytherin who fought for no side but his own. "Regulus knows who he is. How to take care of himself." She hugged him tighter. "You were right to leave, Sirius. You were suffocating in that place. Your family – your mother – was killing you."

Sirius drew back slightly from her, his eyes wet. Tears clung to his lashes, but he stared at Cassie like he'd never seen her before.

"How do you do it?" he asked, voice hoarse. "How can you see every part of me and not run from it?"

The question was unexpected, but Cassie's answer came quickly to her.

"Because I'm not afraid of you, Sirius Black," she said, cupping his face. "I see you, and I am not afraid."

"I see you too," he whispered, and crushed his mouth to hers.

The tears on his face rubbed off on her, but she didn't care, too busy twining her fingers in his hair and pulling him closer to notice. Sirius kissed her with feverish intensity, his hands moving so freely, so explicitly, as if he'd been tasked to carve every inch of her out of marble from memory.

He lifted her into the air with ease, his hands gripping her thighs as she curled her legs around him, and he moaned when she pushed into him. She clung to his shoulders, her nails digging into the bare skin and corded muscles she found there.

Dangerous, she thought, as Sirius's hands moved to grip her backside, as she grinded her hips into him and suddenly felt every hard inch there. This was dangerous territory. What was happening, what she was feeling… If she didn't stop now, then soon – _very_ soon, if he sucked on her tongue like that again – she would likely end up begging him to take her right there in that dusty shed.

As Sirius moved to her neck, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin there, Cassie's eyes fluttered open – and found someone watching them.

A dark-haired woman – that was all she saw before she blinked, and the woman was gone.

Sirius felt her go rigid in his arms and stopped immediately.

"What's wrong?" he said. His eyes were dark with lust, and Cassie's spine locked at the look. She almost lied, just to have those eyes on her as his mouth moved on to more sensitive, wicked areas, but she was too shaken. Sirius let her down. "Cassie? I'm sorry. Did I do something, go too fast…?"

"Did you see her?" she asked, cutting off his rambling.

Sirius went pale. "Mrs. Potter?"

"No." Cassie walked over to the spot by the shed's one dingy window where she had seen the woman, inspecting. No footprints, no disturbed dust. Had she imagined her? "Someone else. A young woman with dark hair."

Sirius looked to the window. "Are you sure it wasn't just your reflection?"

Cassie shook her head.

"Miranda?" he suggested.

She frowned. "Maybe."

"But you don't think so."

She turned, sighing. "Do I sound mental?"

He smirked. "Cass, everything about your life is mental."

"Point taken."

"C'mon," Sirius said, offering her his hand. "Let's get out of here. Maybe this place is haunted or something."

"If only it were that easy," she muttered, but took his hand anyway.

She still thought about the dark-haired woman, even when she went to sleep that night.

* * *

 **Please review! I love hearing your thoughts and speculations!**

 **I was actually quite nervous to write about Sirius running away from home, so I hope I did it some justice here.**

 **Next Chapter: _The Heir of Ash_**

 **xx**


	4. The Heir of Ash

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Thank you for all the new favorites/follows, and thanks to my reviewers from last time!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 **The Heir of Ash**

As July blurred into August, so too did the days blur into weeks. Cassie hadn't even been aware of the time until they were sitting on the day of Peter's birthday – the eighteenth – with the first day of school approaching not too long after that.

"I can't believe you're doing this to me _on my birthday,"_ Peter bemoaned as he flopped down next to Cassie, showering her with droplets of water.

They had gone back to the watering hole that afternoon to swim. Cassie was laying atop a grassy knoll, stretched out on a towel and desperately trying to regain some color. She had become so pale these last few months, and she was determined to be tan again by the time they got back to Hogwarts. Merlin knew she would not be getting any sun there.

"Of all the days in the holiday, Cass, why do you have to go to the Ministry today?" Peter continued. _"On my birthday?"_

Cassie wiped away the water he'd gotten on her with a frown. "Pete, I told you this already: today was the only day Mr. Gorgon could meet with me. He was booked out before." She squinted her eyes against the bright sunlight as she turned to see his pouting expression. "And don't give me that look! We're not even celebrating until tonight. I'll be back hours before then."

Peter got to his feet, huffing.

 _"On my birthday,"_ he repeated, before setting off for Potter Manor in the distance. Mrs. Potter had left out a pitcher of lemonade and some snacks for them on the patio, and despite the trek, Peter seemed to have some sort of internal clock that told him when to go back for more.

Sirius snorted from her other side, and she rolled her head to look at him. He'd climbed out of the water about twenty minutes ago, copying Cassie and laying out beside her in the sun. With his natural olive tone, she'd pointed out that he didn't need to tan as much as she did, but he'd smirked at her and said, _"If you're going to be the golden goddess when we go back to school, then I'm going to be the bronze god. I can't have you one-upping me, can I?"_

She'd merely rolled her eyes and gone back to basking in the warmth of the late summer sun.

"What?" she said. She still squinted from the light, cursing herself for not being smart and investing in Muggle sunglasses like the pair Sirius was wearing.

Through the slit in her eyes, she could see his bare chest, and the still-healing scar across it. It was whitening at the edges, forming scar tissue, but it still remained quite pink in the middle, where the gouge had been the deepest. Since he'd showed it to her, he hadn't seemed to mind going shirtless again. Those first days they'd spent at the watering hole he'd kept his shirt on, and she figured he just didn't like swimming, but it wasn't until their conversation in the shed that she'd realized why he'd kept it on. They hadn't spoken about that conversation – or the woman Cassie saw – since then, but Sirius had seemed a lot more comfortable in the days following, like a weight had been lifted from him. The shadows still haunted his eyes every now and then, but he seemed happier than he had in a while.

Sirius jerked his head in the direction Peter had gone. "I swear the lad treats his birthday like it's a national holiday sometimes."

Cassie grinned. "Let him have his fun," she said. "It only comes around once a year."

A loud splash and a victorious whoop came from the water, and Cassie looked to where James and Remus were still swimming. They'd taken to having a two-man battle for the game James liked to call _king of the rock,_ and judging by James's triumphant stance atop the large rock in the center of the watering hole and the disturbed water where Remus had tumbled in, the former had won.

Remus emerged from the water and renewed his attack on James, and Cassie watched the two boys grapple atop the rock in amusement.

"You know, I could get used to this," she said, sitting up and leaning back on her elbows. At Sirius's raised brows, she smirked and ran her eyes over his bare torso, then flicked her gaze to the shirtless James and Remus, water glistening on their tanned and toned bodies as they wrestled. "Relaxing in the sun, surrounded by a bunch of attractive, shirtless males?" She grinned suggestively. "Not a bad life."

Sirius grinned back, the expression reminiscent of his Animagus form. "As long as you keep wearing that swimsuit, Princess, I wouldn't mind at all."

Cassie blushed, but refused to back down from his gaze. Liv had taken her shopping at the beginning of the summer to buy more Muggle clothes to wear so she could fit in with her new neighborhood, and the black swimsuit she wore had been one of the purchases.

Cassie had balked at the two-piece, which was little more than small triangles that barely covered her breasts and bottoms that sat high on her hips and left nothing to the imagination. Liv insisted that it was all the rage with the Muggle women, but offered to buy her something more conservative if she wasn't comfortable with it. But Cassie had tried it on out of sheer curiosity, and despite her pale skin and thin frame from days of hiding in bed, she'd felt…rebellious. Confident.

So she'd allowed her aunt to buy it for her, and had let herself smile slightly at the thought of her father rolling in his tomb of black marble.

"Oi, this is my fantasy, not yours," she teased.

"Obviously," he said. "Yours clearly involves more clothing than mine."

Cassie groaned, throwing her head back.

"I give up," she said as Sirius began laughing. "Every time I think I can outmaneuver you at innuendo, you put me to shame."

He laughed again. "That's why I'm the master, love."

She rolled her eyes. "Master of arrogance, too."

"That's not what you were saying last night," he said, putting his hands behind his head with a satisfied smirk.

"Sirius!" Cassie looked to the water in terror, but James and Remus were still too busy wrestling to hear them. Heat rushed to her face as Sirius laughed, but also at the memory of their late-night activities. She'd taken ample time exploring the torso stretched out beside her, and the snog they'd shared afterwards… Her skin flushed in a way that had nothing to do with the sun. "Shout our business to the world, why don't you?"

"Aw, is the princess pouting?" he teased, poking her cheek. She smacked his finger away, much to his amusement.

"Just shut up and tan," she grumbled, laying back down.

When Sirius barked another laugh, and James and Remus began howling like wolves once they reached a truce and both occupied the rock, Cassie rolled her eyes and cursed herself for ever getting involved with insufferable boys.

* * *

Liv arrived precisely at four o'clock. Cassie could hear her aunt and Mrs. Potter exchanging pleasantries through her open door as she rushed to put on her stockings and shoes, not nearly as punctual as Liv was.

"You're late," Sirius said from where he was lounging against her doorframe, the portrait of careless elegance and boredom.

"Nonsense." Cassie rifled through her trunk until she found her grandmother's pearl hair-pin, tucked away in a pair of her socks. She twisted her hair up loosely before stabbing the pin through it, checking to make sure it held before getting to her feet. "See? I'm ready now."

Sirius smirked as she breezed past him into the hall, stashing her wand up her sleeve. He fell into step beside her as they made their way downstairs, Cassie's heels echoing loudly in the grand house. He ran a finger down the black silk robes she wore and hummed in appreciation.

"You wore these to Christmas at my place last year, right?" he asked.

Cassie nodded. "Yeah. They were a gift from my mum." She didn't let herself linger on the thought too much. "How did you remember?"

He grinned wolfishly. "I always remember the outfits that make you look utterly irresistible."

Cassie rolled her eyes, though she blushed anyway. "Do you ever get tired of flirting?"

"Sometimes." He shrugged. "But I do love to watch you squirm whenever I do."

He laughed and jogged down a couple steps when Cassie attempted to shove him. She scowled. "Git."

"Is that any way to speak to your loving boyfriend?"

Cassie's only response was to call him a viler and more creative name that left him speechless from laughter as they reached the ground floor. He placed a hand on the small of her back, still chuckling, and led her to the parlor with the exquisite stone fireplace she'd arrived in when she'd Flooed to Potter Manor only a couple weeks before.

Liv and Mrs. Potter sat in one of the loveseats, drinking tea and chatting like old friends. Both witches were dressed in splendid robes, Mrs. Potter in a charming set of mauve and Liv wearing forest green to complement her dark hair and hazel eyes. Cassie started when she saw her aunt; she'd never seen Liv wear anything but Muggle clothes before. Even when her aunt had escorted her from Hogwarts, Liv hadn't dressed in wizard robes.

James, Remus, and Peter were standing idly by one of the tall windows, there to see Cassie off, and after she waved to Liv to let her know that she was ready, she approached them with Sirius.

"You better make this meeting snappy, Princess," James said. He leaned against the window-frame and grinned. "I have a party all planned out for our dear Peter, and I dislike tardiness."

"Rich, coming from you," Cassie retorted, remembering all the lessons he'd showed up to late over the years. James only sketched a bow. "I won't be gone long, I promise. My parents were adamant in teaching me about their finances and holdings growing up, since Will and I are the only heirs. All I have to do is make sure everything is in order and then have Liv sign some forms as my guardian. I'll be in and out."

"You still haven't told us what we're even doing for Pete's party," Remus pointed out, raising a brow at James.

James waved him off. "It's a surprise. Right, Wormtail?"

Peter nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet and looking utterly delighted that he was the only one privy to James's plans. Even Sirius was gazing at his best mate in bemusement.

"Well, whatever it is, just save me some cake," Cassie said. "And not a corner piece! You know I hate too much frosting."

James rolled his eyes. "Of course, Princess. Your wish is our command."

Remus elbowed him in the side, smiling at Cassie as James swore. "I doubt you'll be late, Cass. But that middle piece is yours if you are. Even if I have to fight this lot off for it." He jerked his chin at the other boys, and Cassie grinned.

"At least I know you have my back, Remus." She turned to Peter and ruffled his hair. "Happy birthday, Pete. I'll be back before you know it, all right?" They bumped fists, and Cassie waved to the others as she went to where Liv was now standing patiently by the fireplace, Mrs. Potter collecting the tin of Floo powder for them.

Sirius approached with Cassie, his hand still on her back, and he dipped his chin respectfully to Liv. "Mrs. Hastings. Good to see you again."

"Sirius." Liv's voice was pleasant enough, but Cassie saw her eyes linger on Sirius's hand. "How lovely to see you, as well. And you must call me Liv, please."

Sirius nodded. "Of course." He released Cassie before swooping her hand up to his lips, kissing it softly – playing up the part of the pure-blood prince he'd been raised to be. Cassie refrained from making a face as he winked at her and straightened. "I eagerly await your return, Cassie Alderfair."

She smiled politely, but hissed _"Kiss-ass"_ to him when she went to join her aunt at the fireplace. He said nothing, but his lips twitched in a smile when Mrs. Potter offered the tin of powder to Cassie and Liv.

Mrs. Potter kissed both of Cassie's cheeks when Cassie grabbed a fistful of emerald powder. "See you soon, dear." She turned to Liv and smiled – a wary but kind gesture. "It was wonderful to see you again, Olivia. It's been…quite a long time."

"Indeed it has." Cassie thought she saw a flicker of regret in her aunt's eyes before it was gone, replaced by her refined and poised grace once more. "We must have tea sometime and catch up."

Mrs. Potter smiled again. "I would like that very much."

Liv returned the gesture before she stepped back into the fireplace and threw the Floo powder at her feet. "The Ministry of Magic, London!"

She was gone in a burst of emerald flames, and Cassie followed suit once the smoke had cleared. She waved to everyone congregated in the parlor before dropping the powder and shouting, "The Ministry of Magic, London!"

She whirled through fireplace after fireplace, feeling like her eyes were rattling around in her skull, before the green flames released her into cool underground air and an expansive hearth.

Fortunately, she did not lose her balance this time, but she still had to gulp a few breaths down before the room stopped spinning and her stomach ceased its churning. She stepped out into a high-ceilinged, dark-floored atrium, the sounds of a bustling workspace hitting her full-force once she was clear of the fireplace she'd come through.

She had vague childhood recollections of the Ministry from when her mother used to bring her to visit her father while he was working. Everything had been so much bigger then, more frightening to her young eyes. The Atrium was still humongous though. It stretched away into the underground of London, so far that she could not see either side or where it ended. Windows that gave the illusion of the outside streamed golden sunlight into the cavernous space, making the dark wooden floors and the gilded fireplaces along each wall gleam.

Wizards and witches in an array of robes hurried past her, too busy to notice her standing there gawking. Hundreds of Charmed parchment planes soared through the air, memos and messages to other departments zooming through the crowds of people and narrowly avoiding collisions with other planes. One raced past Cassie, so close she had to jerk her head back to avoid receiving a nasty papercut to her cheek.

Dodging both people and parchment, she went to where Liv was standing a few paces away and joined her before the fountain that she remembered clearly, despite how long it had been since she'd seen it.

The Fountain of Magical Brethren dominated the center of the Atrium. The golden statues were so large that they seemed to reach the peacock-blue ceiling above, the golden symbols moving across the ceiling causing the statues to glow with an incandescent light that made them appear more life-like. A noble wizard and a beautiful witch stood at the center of the fountain, glittering jets of water shooting from their wand-tips into the circular pool below. A centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf stood below the wizard and witch, each statue spouting their own jet of water, but one thing Cassie noticed now that she hadn't before was how the centaur, goblin, and house-elf were gazing adoringly to the witch and wizard above them.

She frowned at this, wondering if she was reading too much into things. But when she glanced to Liv and saw her aunt staring at the wizard's statue, her top lip curled slightly, she realized that perhaps she wasn't entirely wrong.

Before Cassie could say anything, Liv grabbed her elbow and pulled her along into the streaming crowds, saying, "Come; we have to check in at the visitors' center before we can find Mr. Gorgon's office."

Cassie only nodded, falling into step with her, acutely aware that she now stood taller than her aunt, even though they were both wearing the same height in heels. She tried to slouch some, hoping nobody would recognize her as they joined the queue at the visitors' center, where a wizened, gruff wizard sat checking wands and identification.

The longer they waited in line, the more attention they started to draw. Sweat prickled at Cassie's underarms when she began to notice the stares and whispers, and she wiped her palms on her robes, staring ahead resolutely. It wasn't until a pair of exiting visitors walked past them – two older wizards – that Cassie learned why.

On a whim, she tried to catch them staring at her, but the wizards looked right past her. Cassie followed their gazes, her eyes widening slightly when it dawned on her that they weren't looking at her, but rather at Liv. Liv wasn't paying any attention, but Cassie shifted closer to the two wizards, angling her head to listen to their hushed conversation better and wondering why they were so interested in her aunt.

"I'm telling you, Doc, that's Olivia Vaughn!"

"You're full of shite, Archie. I heard Vaughn was disowned after she ran off with some Muggle. Why would she be here?"

Cassie glanced back to her aunt as the wizards moved off, shooting Liv furtive looks as they went, still arguing. Liv gave no indication that she'd heard the two men, but Cassie stared after them, frowning.

She knew Liv's story; her elopement with David, her disownment by her parents – Cassie's grandparents, Mattias and Opal Vaughn. But she had no idea her aunt was so…notorious for it. It made her wonder if Sirius would become so known for the same reasons, like he was already known for being the first Black to be Sorted into Gryffindor. The thought made her uneasy.

They made it through the security checkpoint with relative ease, not speaking and keeping their heads down. But once they made it through and their wands were returned to them, Cassie put a hand on Liv's shoulder.

"You didn't tell me," she said to Liv's inquiring look.

"Tell you what?" But Liv turned away, too nonchalant to not be suspect.

"About what coming here would mean." Cassie gestured to the checkpoint. "I know you heard the murmurs, saw the looks. People know who you are here. And yet you still came."

Liv turned back to her, eyes flashing. "I came because you needed me; because you asked me to. I'm not like everyone else in my family, Cassie; I don't turn my back on them."

Cassie withdrew her hand. "I'm sorry. I—"

"No, no, I'm sorry." Liv waved her off, shaking her head. "Forgive me; I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I just never expected it to be this difficult." She gestured to the Atrium they'd left behind. "I haven't been back to the wizarding world in nearly a decade. The fallout from my departure…it was catastrophic. I left my parents a fine mess to deal with."

Cassie grinned slightly. "My mother told me you melted down your inheritance to make wedding bands for yourself and David."

Liv huffed a laugh, her cheeks coloring. "I was twenty-three. Could hardly hear my head over my heart."

Cassie tilted her head. "Do you ever regret it? Leaving them?"

"No." Liv's tone was resolute. "I regret breaking your mother's heart, but I don't regret following my own."

"Why do so many people seem to know your name? I know you and my mother were the last descendants of the Vaughn family, but Mum always told me you were lesser pure-blood nobility."

Liv's face tightened. "That's a topic for another time." She grasped Cassie's elbow again and marched her toward the lifts at the end of the hall. "It's nearly four-thirty. Mr. Gorgon will be expecting us."

Cassie had no choice but to follow her aunt into a cramped lift, filled with several other witches and wizards only a handful of years older than herself. They were too busy reading their memos and checking their pocket-watches to notice the two women, and Cassie relaxed slightly as the lift lurched down.

They descended farther underground, the lift rattling to a stop at the second level. A cool, disembodied female voice announced that they'd arrived at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the lift opened. Cassie and Liv slipped out along with several paper planes as more Ministry employees entered the lift, but Liv ushered them toward the gilded office doors lining the far back wall.

They passed rows of cubicles and receptionist areas, the atmosphere of the level brisk and businesslike. Attorneys and court officials in billowing robes swept past, hounded by reporters and floating quills. Cassie averted her eyes, hoping none of them would recognize her and begin interrogating her about Will or her parents. But they passed without incident, and she huffed out a tight breath of relief.

Soon, the fancier law enforcement officials were swapped for a different caliber the farther down the level they traveled. Impeccable robes transformed into tighter, more maneuverable combat suits with dusty coats and cloaks, and the polished bureaucrats were replaced by toughened, grim-faced Aurors.

Cassie could not help but ogle as they passed. Dark wizard catchers – that's what these men and women were. But Will had told her that Voldemort's forces had infiltrated the ranks, as well. Were some of them here?

She ducked her head and kept her eyes on Liv's back the rest of the trek to the lawyers' offices, not looking up until Liv gave their names to the receptionist and they were instructed to sit down in the waiting area.

Cassie sank into the plush couch across from Liv, facing away from the majority of the department level. She rubbed at her scalp, already uncomfortable with the weight from her hair and the heavy pin in it. She glanced up when Liv cleared her throat, her aunt watching her shrewdly.

"So," she said, leaning back in her seat. "Sirius Black?" Cassie grimaced. Liv just grinned. "I told you to look forward to this conversation the next time I saw you."

Cassie coughed. "Yeah, but I didn't know if you were actually serious, or you were like my mum, who'd only remember a year later."

Liv's smile widened. "Did she know?"

"Yes." She huffed. "And she already gave me hell for it, so most of your speech will just be redundant."

"Speech?" Liv wrinkled her nose. "Merlin, no. If anything, I wanted to congratulate you on snagging such a devilishly handsome boy to dangle off your arm."

Cassie snorted. "Please don't let him hear you say that. His ego's already big enough for the both of us."

Liv propped her elbow on the arm of her chair and tapped her finger against her cheek, studying Cassie. "So you like him?"

"I mean, we're dating." Cassie shrugged. "I'd say yes."

"Hm. Why him? Your friends Remus and James are handsome as well, and they clearly like you. As friends, at least, but possibly more if you wanted." Cassie inwardly cringed at the blatant disregard for Peter, but she listened anyway in growing embarrassment. "Why Sirius?"

Cassie shifted in her seat. "Remus and James are my friends – more than that. They're like my brothers." She shrugged again at Liv's high brows. "Are you asking about Sirius out of curiosity, or out of prejudice because he's a Black?"

"The Blacks do have a reputation, Cassie. They always have."

"I'm aware."

"I'm not trying to upset you," Liv said. She leaned forward, gazing at Cassie earnestly. "Cassie, really. But you've been through so much already. I don't want to see you hurt any more than you have been."

Cassie glanced down to her lap, her eyes suddenly burning.

"Sirius isn't like his family," she said quietly. "I knew that even before we became friends – before we became more." She bit her lip. "He was disowned this summer. Ran away from home and everything, for having different views than the rest of his family. He's living with James now." She looked back to Liv. "Surely you can understand that? Can understand him a little more, and not be so quick to judge someone based on their family name alone?"

Liv stared at her for a long moment before blowing out a heavy breath. "Godric. You may look like your mother, but you certainly don't think like her." She smiled grimly at Cassie's questioning look. "Always kept her mouth shut and her head down, Eleanor did. The only time I ever saw her stand up for something was when our parents threw me out." She swallowed. "That was the only time she fought back. Raged against who she was, who our parents had turned her into."

"What happened?" Cassie's voice was a whisper.

"She was already married to your father. The coldest bastard I'd ever known." Her tone was full of loathing, her eyes simmering with bitterness. Cassie could only listen, breathless and silent. "He was there that night too. The night I snapped and ran away. Like your Sirius." Cassie's chest tightened at the words. "He dragged her away from me. Hit her when she fought." She shook her head. "It was quick and bloody, Cassie. And my parents stood there and did absolutely nothing – not to stop him, or her, or me."

Cassie sat, stunned. She'd always suspected – always had an inkling that her father mistreated her mother behind closed doors. But to have it confirmed… She was starting to feel ill.

"The next time I saw her, there was no more fight in her. Just complacency. She wasn't a shell – Merlin, no. Lukas could never shatter her, no matter how hard he tried. But something in her broke that night, Cassie. Just like something broke in me. And she never fought again."

Cassie hadn't realized she was crying until she felt the tears seeping through the fabric covering her thighs. Liv provided her a handkerchief. Her eyes were bright, but no tears fell. Cassie guessed that all her tears had been cried out long ago.

"I'm sorry," she said, gesturing to her blotchy, tearstained face. "I just…never knew. No one ever told me." She coughed out a broken laugh. "I always knew my father was a son of a bitch, but not like this."

"I don't want my past to taint any memory you may have of him, Cassie," Liv said, placing a hand on her knee. "It's just that – the past. You have your own history with him, your own image."

"The last thing I ever told him was to reflect on his own life before the end – how he came to be such a loathsome bastard." Cassie gripped the handkerchief tightly. "He never hid himself from me. He always wanted me to know how little I meant to him."

"That's over now." Liv smiled faintly. "We probably shouldn't discuss such things here anyway." She squeezed Cassie's knee once more before leaning back again. "So tell me: did your mother ever have _the talk_ with you when she found out you were dating Sirius?"

Cassie blanched, and Liv laughed.

* * *

Mr. Gorgon was a small, pallid man with a rather pitiful receding hairline and large, watery grey eyes. Dressed in black robes that seemed far too large on his thin frame, he made for an unintimidating figure – someone her father would have chosen carefully. Intelligent, but discreet. Someone with connections and access, but so unforgettable that no one would remember his name or what he'd inquired after.

Lukas Alderfair had always been a bastard, but at least he'd been a bastard with sense.

Mr. Gorgon had greeted Cassie and Liv warmly enough with that shrill, reedy voice of his and gotten right down to business. He walked the two women through the stacks of parchment atop his elegant desk, piled so high that Cassie could barely see him over it. Then came the signing.

Cassie sucked on a piece of toffee while she and Liv scribbled their names on document after document, for so long that Cassie feared she would need to replace her hand before going back to Hogwarts. It felt like hours later when they finished and Mr. Gorgon sealed the final piece of parchment, bearing Cassie's signature as inheritor and Liv's as the legal guardian of the Alderfair fortune until Cassie came of age.

"And there you have it, Miss Alderfair." Mr. Gorgon reached out and shook her hand, his skin warm and papery to the touch. "As your brother William has been sentenced to serve a life sentence in Azkaban, all Alderfair properties, assets, and holdings go directly to you as the sole and last heir of the House of Alderfair. The Gringotts accounts associated with your parents have been frozen until you turn the legal age of seventeen, in which time your aunt must accompany you to the bank to retrieve the funds set aside in your own account. Once you turn seventeen, everything legally becomes yours for you to decide what to do with."

Cassie's head still swam from all the words she'd read and the sheer shock of discovering just how much money her family had, but she forced herself to stand and smile at the wizard. "Thank you, Mr. Gorgon. It's a relief to know that my family placed such trust in you, and I'm grateful to you for continuing to serve me just as well as my father."

"Of course, of course." Mr. Gorgon bobbed his head, standing along with Liv. "If you have any more questions or concerns, you will find my information on this card." He handed both women a business card. Cassie pocketed hers, turning to leave, but Mr. Gorgon said, "If I could actually have a moment alone, Miss Alderfair?"

Cassie glanced to Mr. Gorgon, still standing and smiling benignly, and then to Liv, who appeared to be sizing him up. Liv caught Cassie's eye, but Cassie nodded; she could handle this on her own.

"I'll be right outside," Liv said to her, eyeing Mr. Gorgon once more before departing the office.

Cassie remained standing when Mr. Gorgon made no move to sit back down. "Was there something else, Mr. Gorgon?"

"Yes." He opened a drawer of his desk and extracted an unaddressed, unsealed envelope. "Several weeks before your mother and father's tragic demise, your father visited me and gave me this." He held up the envelope. "He was very explicit that no one was to read it – not even me. His only instruction was to give this to you – and only you – should something ever happen to him."

Cassie's body went cold. "What?"

But Mr. Gorgon only shook his head. "That was all the information I was given, Miss Alderfair. Your father was very clear."

He held out the envelope to her. She tried to steady the tremble in her fingers as she took it from him, holding it carefully, as if it were a firecracker that might blow up in her face.

"Thank you," she said, not knowing what else there was _to_ say. "Thank you, Mr. Gorgon. Good-bye."

Before he could say anything more, Cassie ducked out of the office. She looked around and saw Liv standing and talking to the receptionist. Taking advantage of her aunt's momentary distraction, Cassie ripped open the envelope, her heart pounding. Written on a piece of her father's heavy, rich stationary, in his handwriting, was only a single word. A name.

 _Norvina_

Cassie flipped the paper over, but there was nothing else. Just that one word. That one name. _Norvina._

Her heart thundered against her ribs. What did it mean? Why had her father gone through so much trouble and secrecy just to give her a single name?

"Ready?"

Liv stood before her, looking happy to finally be leaving the Ministry. Cassie nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She subtly moved her hand behind her back and crumpled her father's note in her fist, glancing back to Mr. Gorgon's office, but the door was closed.

"Yeah," she said, forcing her voice to come out normal. She took Liv's hand in her own that wasn't holding the note and tried to ignore her creeping sense of dread. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

 **Reviews are always appreciated! I love hearing your thoughts and speculations!**

 **We've got a couple more chapters to go before we get back to Hogwarts, so bear with me until then :)**

 **Next Chapter: _The Shadows_**

 **xx**


	5. The Shadows

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Welcome back! I have quite a surprise for y'all this chapter. Read on to see the return of a much-asked about character ;)**

 **Thank you for all the new favorites/follows, and thanks to my reviewers from last time!**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 **The Shadows**

Remus was true to his word, and had in fact saved Cassie a middle piece of Peter's birthday cake that'd been prepared by the Potters' house-elf, Minty.

Liv dropped her off at Potter Manor at sunset. She wasn't able to stay long – citing that David had dinner waiting for her and Cassie's cousins – but she'd thanked Mrs. Potter and greeted Mr. Potter before wrapping Cassie in a tight hug.

"Be safe at school," Liv said to her. She pulled back, keeping a grip on Cassie's shoulders, and smiled softly. "And if you ever have any questions or concerns – about school, about your parents, or anything else – don't hesitate to owl me. You're part of my family now, Cassie. Don't forget that."

Cassie's eyes burned when she reached up and clasped Liv's hands. "Thank you. I'll remember."

Liv squeezed her hands before making her way back to the fireplace where Mrs. Potter stood with the Floo powder. Her aunt waved to her. "Love you! Have a great year and make good choices!"

Cassie waved back. "Love you too."

When Liv was gone and the fireplace had returned to normal, Mr. and Mrs. Potter turned to her with kind smiles.

"Here." Mr. Potter handed her a fork and a small plate with a piece of vanilla cake and as little of the red frosting on it as possible. "Remus said to save this for you for when you got back."

"Sorry that you weren't here for Peter's cake-cutting, dear," Mrs. Potter added as Cassie took the plate and smiled gratefully. "But James insisted we do it earlier, so you all would have more time for your festivities tonight."

Cassie took a bite of cake and sighed at the sugary sweetness that coated her tongue. Utter perfection. "Has he even told you what we're doing?"

James's parents exchanged a look and turned back to her.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Mr. Potter said with a grin.

Mrs. Potter sighed. "Just please don't do anything dangerous. Or illegal."

Cassie wanted to point out that their son was usually the instigator – ringleader of the Marauders he was – but decided to spare them any heart problems that might arise from it.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Potter," she said, smiling wryly. "I'll keep them in line."

"Oh, tosh." Mrs. Potter waved her off. "You don't have to be so formal, Cassie. You're as much family now as those boys are."

Mr. Potter nodded, grinning at Cassie's wide eyes. "It's true. Once you're in James's inner circle, there's no getting back out. And I think our son has always chosen his friends wisely." He put a hand out for Cassie to shake. "So, I'd like to re-introduce myself as Uncle Fleamont."

Mrs. Potter smiled. "And I'm Aunt Euphemia. Or just Euphemia is fine."

Cassie didn't know what to say as she took Mr. Potter's – _Fleamont's_ – hand. "Th-thank you," she stammered. "I'm honored—"

Euphemia swooped in and hugged Cassie, interrupting her sputtering.

"We know how difficult this time must be for you," she said, nearly crushing the air from Cassie's lungs. "And we know how much James and the others care for you. Just know that we'll always be here for you if you need us."

Fleamont nodded when his wife pulled away and smiled. He jerked his chin upstairs. "Now go on; the boys are getting ready. Best not keep them waiting, impatient as they are."

Cassie laughed, her voice still a bit breathless from the unexpected moment with the Potters. "Of course. Thank you for the cake. And…everything else, too."

James's parents smiled and sent her off with a wave as she bounded up the stairs, taking another bite from her cake as she went. She reached her bedroom and nudged open the door with her hip, but paused on the threshold when she heard the loud and obnoxious voices of the Marauders coming from her joint bathroom with Sirius.

She set down her plate on the dresser and knocked smartly on the door. The voices inside quieted just a bit as Sirius opened it. "May I help you?"

She raised a brow at him. "Yes." She peeked over his shoulder to see James, Remus, and Peter standing at the counter, their various toiletries spread amongst them. "Any particular reason why they're invading our bathroom?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. We were in my room, then we got bored waiting around, so I told them to get ready here."

Cassie pressed her hands over her heart and batted her eyelashes. "Isn't that so _precious?_ Getting ready together like you're going to the _ball_ – ACH!"

She ducked away, laughing, when Sirius took a swipe at her. He shook his head in exasperation. "Just get changed, Princess."

She leaned against the doorframe and looked to James. "And what, exactly, is the dress code for our mysterious night out?"

James grinned at her. He'd attempted to flatten his hair against his head, but unruly pieces kept sticking out at odd angles. On anyone else it would've looked ridiculous, but for some reason it only added to his charm.

"Muggle casual," he said with a wink. "Nothing too fancy."

Cassie nodded and pushed off the doorframe. "Well, I'll leave you boys to it." She made to close the door for some privacy, but Sirius slipped past her and flopped down on her bed. She glared at him. "Make yourself at home, why don't you?"

He grinned, kicking his feet up lazily. He'd dressed simply for the evening: dark jeans, a black shirt with a matching leather jacket, and heavy black boots. Average attire, but with his shaggy dark hair and handsome face, Cassie couldn't help but admire him sprawled on her bed.

"Technically, this is my home now," he said, stretching his arms above his head. When Cassie continued to glare at him, he sat up. "What?"

"I have to change." She glanced to the bathroom door pointedly.

"I'm aware."

She rolled her eyes at his wicked smirk and pointed to the door. "Out, perv."

He pouted. "I'm not a perv; I'm your boyfriend."

"And I'm still half-convinced that you and James can read each other's minds," she said. "So forgive me if I don't want your other girlfriend knowing what my bum looks like."

Sirius barked out a laugh as Cassie shooed him from her bed. "To be fair, it's hard _not_ to notice your bum—"

"Out!" Cassie opened the bathroom door and shoved him inside, still laughing, before she slammed it shut again. Shaking her head, she flipped open the lid of her trunk and began yanking various articles of clothing out, trying to determine what she should wear.

As she sorted through different tops and bottoms, she heard the boys laughing and joking from the bathroom, and began to wonder why she'd kicked Sirius out. She wasn't ashamed or embarrassed about her body – Godric, she was even _proud_ of it, especially now that she'd gained some weight and color back. But she was still reluctant to let Sirius see her naked. She'd barely even kissed anyone before him, and some naïve, innocent part of her still held out for a sort of meaningful, special intimacy that was different from the casual comfort they shared in their relationship.

Or maybe she was just being too unrealistic. She didn't know, and now wasn't the time to ponder it either.

She decided to copy Sirius for the night, and grabbed a tight black top and a pair of dark-washed jeans. She shed her robes and swapped them for the Muggle clothes, unceremoniously dumping the robes into her trunk. The note from her father was still crumpled inside one of the pockets, and she wondered if she shouldn't just set them on fire instead. At least then she'd have one less thing to worry about.

 _Tomorrow,_ she thought, shaking her head. _I'll deal with it tomorrow._

She grabbed some earrings and a necklace along with her toiletry bag and knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you decent?" When she received their affirmations, she entered the bathroom and immediately choked on the heavy scent permeating the air. "Dear Merlin, what _is_ that?"

Remus shot James an annoyed look. "I told you that you were using too much cologne."

James looked offended. "It was a gift from my mum. Shove off."

Cassie made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and edged past Sirius to get to the mirror. "Oi, stop hogging; some of us actually have to put effort into our appearances."

Sirius shook his head in mock-concern. "I know, Cass. That's what I've been trying to tell Peter all night—"

"Hey!" Peter complained, turning away from combing his blond hair in the mirror to look at Sirius, his cheeks red. "That's not fair!"

The other boys chuckled, but Cassie rolled her eyes as she plucked out an eyeliner pencil from her bag. "Don't listen to him, Pete. Sirius just doesn't understand the struggles the rest of us mere mortals go through."

Peter reluctantly laughed along with the others, though his face still remained quite flushed.

Sirius met Cassie's eyes in the mirror and quirked his brows when she started applying the eyeliner. "Since when do you wear makeup?"

She made a face at him. "It's not like I've never worn it before."

"True," he conceded. "But I've only seen you wear it for special occasions."

"Is Peter's birthday not a special occasion?" She finished her eyeliner and pulled out a tube of mascara, meeting Sirius's gaze challengingly. "And so what if I want to wear makeup?"

Sirius held up his hands. "Nothing. I just didn't know you were into that sort of thing."

Cassie shrugged. "People can change their minds, Sirius."

"So they can," he said with a grin.

"Well, for what it's worth Cass, I think you look great either way," Remus said, blushing slightly when Cassie turned on him, beaming.

"Why, thank you, Remus," she said brightly. "And thanks for saving me that piece of cake." She winked at him. "I knew there was a reason you were always my favorite."

Remus and Cassie laughed when the other boys yelled "OI!" in unison.

"Betrayals aside," James said, throwing a glare Cassie's way as she smeared on her mother's favorite shade of lipstick and flipped him off in the mirror, "we should get going soon. Dad set us up a Portkey that leaves in half an hour."

"A Portkey?" Cassie glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "James, _where_ are we going?"

But he only winked and replied, "You'll see."

* * *

"A Muggle film," Cassie said, looking up at the tall, flashy building that Remus had referred to as a 'cinema.' "That's what all your fuss was about?"

James shrugged and clapped Peter on the back. "It's what Wormtail wanted for his birthday. Right, Wormy?"

Peter wrinkled his nose at being called 'Wormy,' but he nodded, nonetheless. "I can't believe you pulled it off, Prongs!"

"Anything for my little Wormy," James cooed. He reached out to pinch Peter's cheeks, but Peter shoved him off.

"Well, we should get tickets for whatever film we're going to see," Remus said. He turned to James and raised a brow. "Assuming you have a film in mind?"

"Pete's the one with the birthday," he said. "He should decide."

Peter nearly skipped inside the building, he was so happy. Cassie followed at a slower pace, walking with Sirius and Remus as James dashed after Peter.

"Has Lily never told you about cinemas?" Remus asked her; he must've caught the look of skepticism on Cassie's face when he'd held the door open for them. She shook her head.

"I just never understood," she admitted. "She talked about moving pictures, but not like the ones we have in the wizarding world." She glanced around nervously, hoping no one was paying attention to them; they were in a Muggle town about an hour from Potter Manor, and she'd prefer not to have any Ministry officials swoop down on her for accidentally breaking the Statute of Secrecy. "She said the pictures were…prerecorded?" She grunted. "I dunno. Muggle technology makes no sense sometimes."

Remus smiled at her. "No, you've got it right for the most part. It's complicated to explain, really, but Lily did a good job giving you the basics."

"Did someone mention Lily? Lily Evans?" James sidled up to their little group, his hazel eyes bright behind his glasses. "You mean the light of my life? My one true love?"

Cassie pulled a face. "Godric, you're embarrassing."

"Need I remind you of the moment we shared last term, Princess?" He contorted his face into an expression of agony and wailed in a poor imitation of Lily's voice. "Oh, James, are you all right? Does it hurt, James? It's okay, Madam Pomfrey will help, James."

"We thought you were dying, you git," Cassie said. "All of us were worried about you."

"But she said my name," he said dreamily. "It's a start, Princess; you'll see. I'll have Evans bagged by the end of this year, or my name isn't James Fleamont Potter."

"Is that a wager, Potter?"

"I do believe it is, Alderfair."

Cassie's grin widened until she was baring her teeth at him, smelling gold in her future. "A hundred Galleons says you won't."

James grinned right back at her, a predatory gleam in his eye. "You're on, Princess." He spat in his hand and held it out for her. "On my honor as a Potter."

Cassie spat in her palm and shook James's hand. "And on my honor as an Alderfair."

Sirius looked back and forth between them once they released hands, their bet now sealed. "You two really are the worst influences on each other."

Remus snorted. "Don't encourage them, Padfoot. Next time we turn our backs they might be ruling the world together."

Cassie glanced to James, raising her eyebrows. "Empress Cassie has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Quite," he said. "I also like the sound of Emperor James."

Remus and Sirius groaned just as Peter ran back up to them, waving five tickets in his hand. "I got them! _The Omen!_ It starts in five minutes!"

"That sounds… _ominous_ ," Sirius said as he received his ticket from Peter. He ignored all their groans at his awful pun. "What's it about?"

Peter shrugged. "Dunno. But the bloke at the counter told me it was supposed to be scary."

"Excellent," Remus said. "I'll grab popcorn and drinks. You all get seats."

"I'll come with," Cassie said, shimmying out from under Sirius's arm. "You'll need help carrying stuff."

Remus nodded and smiled at her, and they waved to the others before walking to the counter that was labeled 'Concessions.' He made to pull out his old, cracked leather wallet, but Cassie shook her head at him, reaching for her small shoulder bag.

"I got it," she said. "Liv gave me some Muggle money just in case."

"You don't have to—" he said, face flushing, but Cassie waved him off.

"Remus, I just became one of the wealthiest witches in the world today," she said, keeping her voice low. "I think I can spare a few pieces of Muggle paper."

It was true, but she also didn't want to draw attention to the fact that she had quite a bit more money than Remus and his family did. The Lupins weren't particularly wealthy, from what Cassie gathered; everything Remus owned was bought secondhand, and he was more reserved with spending compared to James and Sirius, who threw their money around like it was nothing sometimes. She didn't pity him – he'd hate that – but she understood that her position allowed her a lot more privileges than his did, especially with his condition.

Remus didn't object to her argument, though his face was still red when Cassie pulled out her Muggle bills. She looked to him helplessly. "Er, you should probably handle the transaction though. I don't know what's worth what."

His mouth quirked in a tiny grin as she handed over the bills. "Yeah, sure, I got it. Don't worry."

They waited in line behind a couple in their early twenties who seemed intent to snog each other's faces off right there in public. Cassie and Remus shuffled around awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with either party, but she glanced to him when he cleared his throat.

"So, how'd the Ministry go?"

"Boring. Stuffy." She flashed back to Mr. Gorgon's office and the note he'd given her from her father. She'd wanted to wait until after Peter's birthday to bring it up, but perhaps Remus knew something she didn't. "Hey, does 'Norvina' mean anything to you?"

Remus frowned, thinking. "No, can't say it does." Cassie bit back her curse, keeping her expression neutral when he looked at her. "Why?"

She shrugged. "No reason. Just saw it somewhere. I couldn't figure out if it was a name or a place though."

"Sounds like someone's name to me," he said.

She nodded, ignoring his questioning look and breathing out a sigh of relief when the handsy couple moved off and they could order their snacks.

Remus paid and reluctantly kept the change when Cassie insisted that she had no use for Muggle money. They set off for the correct theatre, laden with two large buckets of popcorn and five fizzy drinks that were already making Cassie's teeth ache just looking at them.

She happened to glance to a window as they passed, but she nearly screamed and dropped the popcorn when she saw someone else staring back at her from the outside.

Her first thought was the woman she'd seen in the Potters' shed a few weeks ago, but the shadowy silhouette looked more male than female. And the eyes – not dark, but light; so light they seemed to glitter at her, even through the night veiling the world on the other side of the glass.

"Cassie? Hey, you all right?"

She looked back to Remus wildly. He'd stopped a few paces from her, his eyes shifting between her face and the window. She opened her mouth, about to point out the silhouette, but when she turned again it was gone.

Remus was still staring at her, his brows furrowed. Swallowing back her sudden panic, she shook her head and walked away from the window, wondering if she was starting to see hallucinations or something.

"I'm fine," she said despite her pounding heart. "Let's go find the others."

She didn't look back to the window again.

* * *

By the time the film ended, it was nearly midnight. Cassie wrapped her jacket tighter around herself as they left the cinema; the first bite of autumn was in the air, and it nipped at her face and hands as they stood out on the sidewalk, the crowd of Muggles they'd shared the theatre with streaming out behind them. Sirius draped his arm around her shoulders casually, and she shot him a grateful look, leaning into his warmth.

"That. Was. Wicked." Peter's eyes hadn't stopped glowing since they'd left the darkened theatre. "Best birthday present ever. Thanks, Prongs."

James sketched a bow. "I am quite amazing, aren't I?"

Remus snorted. "And so amazingly humble too."

"That was pretty great," Cassie agreed. She punched Sirius lightly in the ribs. "Especially because I got to watch _you_ nearly run out screaming."

Sirius winced. "I don't like scary stuff. Never have."

"So, what now?" James said. He rocked back and forth on his heels, his hands in his pockets. "Our Portkey back doesn't leave for another hour."

"Food?" Cassie suggested.

Peter made a face. "I'm stuffed."

"Probably because you ate an entire bucket of popcorn by yourself," Sirius retorted. He jerked his chin to something behind James's shoulder. "There's a tattoo parlor right there. We should check it out."

Cassie raised her eyebrows. "Planning to get inked up?"

He shrugged. "Someday. Not tonight, though. But it'd give us something to do."

"I'm game." James looked around. Remus shrugged, indifferent, and though Peter looked slightly put-out, he didn't object. Cassie quirked her lips as if to say _what the hell?_ "All right. Let's go check it out, then."

They crossed the dark and near-empty street, heading for the small building that boasted burning red lights and a buzzing _OPEN_ sign. Cassie could feel a heavy thumping in her chest as they got closer, and when Sirius opened the door – a loud bell clanging above them – the bass-driven wailing of Muggle rock music assaulted her full-force.

A Muggle woman in her thirties with black hair and an array of facial piercings looked up from her magazine at the counter when they entered. The acrid smoke of her cigarette filled the air as she looked them up and down, her ruby-red lips twisting. "Aren't you all a little young?"

Sirius took her in coolly, his easy charm and charisma oozing through his drawling voice as he said, "We're just looking."

The woman shrugged and went back to her magazine, but not before her eyes raked over him appreciatively.

Something tight coiled in Cassie's gut at the look, but she forced it down; she knew Sirius was attractive – one would have to be blind to not see that. She shouldn't get jealous over someone else appreciating his looks. She relaxed her shoulders and breathed deeply, but couldn't help sliding her hand into Sirius's as he passed her to look at some of the artists' sketchbooks behind her.

James, Remus, and Peter huddled together on one of the battered leather sofas at the front of the shop, flipping through one of the tattoo portfolios and pointing at various designs, occasionally laughing over something. Cassie looked up at Sirius as he perused one of the other books, tapping and humming thoughtfully every now and then.

"And when were you going to tell me you wanted a tattoo?" she asked playfully.

He smirked at her, glancing away from a design of a soaring raven. "I've always wanted one. Maybe multiple. I dunno; I haven't decided yet."

"What were you thinking of getting?"

He shrugged. "Not sure. Anything that catches my eye, really." His silver eyes flicked up to meet hers. "I do know that I want one for all of us, though." He jerked his head back to where the other Marauders were lounging. "Moony, Prongs, Padfoot, Wormtail." He hesitated. "Sparks."

The name sent a ripple of pain through her. Sparks. That had been Will's nickname for her when they were children.

"Maybe not that one," she said quietly. "Perhaps it's time I get another name."

He smiled wryly. "I can always go with Princess."

She chuckled. " _Definitely_ not that one." She bit her lip. "How long did it take you to become an Animagus?"

His brows rose in surprise. "A while. Any reason why you're asking?"

She looked down to the sketchbook, running a finger over the laminated page. "I suppose you'll tell me it's too dangerous to become an unregistered Animagus like you, James, and Peter if I were to tell you I'd been considering it?"

"I'm offended, Princess." She met his eyes again and found him smirking, that wolfish grin that was reminiscent of his dog-form lighting up his face. "It's almost like you don't know me at all. I'm a Marauder; breaking the rules is in my blood." He flicked her nose. "I wouldn't stop you. I'd help you." His face turned serious. "I do have to warn you though; it's a long, complicated process. You should only go through with it if you're ready to be one-hundred percent committed to seeing it through."

"You all did it to help Remus," she said, keeping her voice low. "I'm not ready to start right now, but maybe in a few weeks." She shifted her gaze to Remus. He was laughing at something James had said, too far away to hear their conversation. "I want to help him too."

Sirius smiled and kissed her. She kissed him back, glad that he was willing to help her and not hinder her in this new undertaking of hers. She'd been pondering it all summer, weighing the risks, but it all boiled down to one thing: she wanted to be there for Remus like the others were, in all ways.

Cassie pulled away, smiling, and glanced down to the drawing Sirius had stopped at before she'd started speaking.

A black skull stared out at her from the page, its eyes dark and hollow and its mouth split into a wide grin. Acid-green serpents spilled from its eye sockets, its nostrils, its mouth. Cassie stared at it, her stomach churning. She'd seen something similar before – the Dark Mark of Lord Voldemort. Inked into the flesh of her brother's left forearm. The Mark that was left above every place the Death Eaters terrorized and murdered, the same one that was splattered across the front pages of the _Daily Prophet_ almost every week.

Sirius closed the book quickly. "Cass? You all right? You look faint."

"Fine," she murmured, dazed.

He reached for her. "Cass, I'm sorry you had to see that. I know—"

"I need air." She stepped back from him and pushed her way outside. The wind had picked up since they entered the shop. It tore at her, her clothes, but she barely felt it.

Nausea coiled in her gut. The Mark – that stupid bloody Mark. She'd had no idea she would react like that. But remembering the harsh black ink on Will's arm, remembering that day she'd stood with him in her family's tomb as he'd offered her the chance to destroy their world and start from scratch… It was too much. It was unbearable.

She paced a few feet down the sidewalk, the heels of her boots clunking dully against the pavement. On some impulse, she stopped and looked up from her feet – and saw a shadow standing at the edge of the sidewalk. Waiting for her.

When she looked up, the shadow turned and disappeared into the alley on its right. Cassie stood, her heart in her throat. She half-turned back to the tattoo parlor, but stopped. She stared into the shadows where the silhouette – the same silhouette she'd seen at the cinema – had gone.

She took out her wand and followed it.

The alley stank of garbage and piss, but she crept forward anyway, her wand aloft and her senses alert. Rats scurried away from her feet, but she paid them no mind. She stopped just a few feet inside. Shadows stretched out before her, swallowing everything from sight. Only a sliver of moonlight and a shaft from one of the streetlamps offered her any clarity in the dark. She stood and listened, her ears and eyes straining.

And then she struck.

She whirled around, knocking into a solid, warm body, and shoved it back against the alley wall. The shadow grunted, but before it could run, Cassie was there, her hand wrapped around its throat and her wand poised over its heart.

"I should've known," she said, her wand and voice unwavering. "I can't say I'm thrilled to see you again, Avery."

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the shadow took form: black hair, curled elegantly across a dark forehead; startlingly blue eyes; haughty, aristocratic features. Beautiful, is how she would've described him – if she didn't hate him with every fiber of her being.

"Cassie." She'd forgotten how soft his voice was. Even with a hand at his throat and a wand at his heart, his voice still sounded like silk running across sharpened steel. "Long time, no see."

She made a noise of disgust, but released her hand from his throat. Her wand stayed pointed at his chest. "Have you been _following_ me?"

"Only tonight." He looked entirely unruffled admitting it. "I live nearby, you know; I get curious whenever our guards report that there's other wizards and witches visiting."

"Your _guards?"_ Cassie scoffed. Typical pure-bloods. The Sacred Twenty-Eight made her family seem downright normal. "Well, here I am, Avery. Your curiosity satisfied?"

"It appears so." He cast a disdainful look the way she came. "Tell your cubs I send them my regards."

He brushed aside her wand like it was a minor inconvenience and started walking towards the alley's entrance. Cassie sneered after him.

"Running away again, Avery? How predictable of you."

He stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn to face her.

Cassie stared at his back, all the pent-up anger and frustration she'd kept tempered down this summer rising to the surface again.

"It seems all you do is run – from Carlisle, from me. From Voldemort." His shoulders stiffened, but still he did not turn. "Did you think about it this summer, Avery? What I asked you in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom?" He said nothing. "Have you made your choice? Have you decided whose side you really fight for?"

"I fight for myself," he hissed, hands clenched at his sides, back still facing toward her.

"Then prove it. Show me you mean it, and I'll let you walk away."

Slowly, he turned to her. His eyes stood out like glowing chips of ice in the moonlight, his face stark against the shadows.

She stared at him, unflinching. "Make your choice," she whispered. "Prove to me you fight for what you say you do."

"What do you want me to prove, Cassie?" he growled. "I didn't attack your friends tonight. I haven't attacked you. I could easily drag you before the Dark Lord right now if I wanted to."

"Then why don't you?"

He smiled bitterly. "Maybe because I still have some last shred of hope inside me," he said. "For a better world. For me. For you." He took a deep breath. "For us."

He took a step closer to her. Cassie wanted to back away, but instead stood, rooted to the spot, as he slowly closed the distance between them. His eyes stayed on her face – so bright, so haunted.

She drew herself up as he stopped mere inches from her.

"I am not your savior," she snapped.

"No," he murmured, "you're not."

And kissed her.

He'd kissed her before. It was a vague memory, clouded by Veritaserum and her desire for Sirius at the time, but she still remembered it: the way his hands had gripped her waist, the movement of his lips across hers. It'd been rough and uncomfortable; an act, to keep from raising anyone's suspicion if they were caught together.

But this time was different. This time, his hands were gentle and warm as they cupped her face. This time, his lips were soft, pressing into hers with careful intent, even when she did not respond. His scent wrapped around her: bergamot spice and sage. An unexpected but heady scent that lingered even after he pulled away.

"You are hope, Cassie Alderfair," he said.

He walked away. And she let him.

* * *

 **Please review! I love hearing your thoughts!**

 **I actually hadn't planned for Avery making a comeback in this chapter, but he just kinda wrote himself in. And hang tight - we go back to Hogwarts next chapter, and sixth year can truly begin then!**

 **Next Chapter: _The Journey Back_**

 **xx**


	6. The Journey Back

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Welcome back! It's honestly beyond me how these chapters keep getting so long. But here we are!**

 **I was so amused by your responses to Avery last chapter - half of you hate him and half of you love him. No matter which side you're on, just know that he's not going to be going anywhere for a while...**

 **Thank you for all the new favorites/follows, and thanks to my reviewers from last time!**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 **The Journey Back**

King's Cross was absolute chaos on the morning of September 1st.

The influx of commuters (both magical and not) was not so different from any other day, but the massive thunderstorm raging outside the station seemed to inject everyone with a frazzled and frenzied energy that morning. Even Euphemia Potter – a collected, mild-tempered witch usually – ushered her son and his friends toward the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ as if the lightning flashing through the sky had struck her head-on.

"Good heavens, look at the time!" she moaned. "I knew we should have Floo'd but your father _insisted_ that we take a Ministry car—"

She fretted behind them as Cassie glanced up to the clock and saw that it was 10:55. They had five minutes to board the Hogwarts Express or get left behind.

She put on a burst of speed just as Sirius's owl let out a panicked screech beside her. Osbourne – Cassie's own owl – cast the jet-black bird a look of disdain as Sirius rapped the cage with his knuckles.

"Perseus, _shut up,"_ he growled. He'd been in a foul mood since they'd woken up that morning – late, to Euphemia's dismay – and the storm plaguing London was only making his attitude worse.

Cassie put her hand on top of his as she and the Marauders wheeled their trolleys to the platform.

"Hey," she said. "It's all right." She brushed her thumb across his knuckles. "We're going to make it on time. There's no need to stress."

"That's not what I'm worried about," he grumbled.

She was about to ask what he meant until Euphemia skidded to a halt before the brick wall separating Platforms 9 and 10. James's mother nearly shoved him toward the barrier.

"Off you go," she said, bestowing a tight hug on her son and kissing both his cheeks. "Have a great term, dears." She took turns hugging each boy and Cassie. "Make sure to write your families – get good marks and try your best – _stay out of trouble."_ She fixed the four boys with a hard look as they all grinned, sheepish. "James, that goes for you, too – if I get one more letter saying that you – you turned all the cauldrons into _frogs_ or something—"

"We've never done anything of the sort," James protested. "But that's not too shabby an idea, Mum—"

 _"James Fleamont, I'm warning you—"_

"All right, all right! No cauldrons into frogs. Got it, Mum."

She heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Just be careful, all of you. And watch out for each other." She touched Cassie's cheek lightly. "Fleamont and I are always here for you. That goes for all of you."

Cassie wrapped James's mother in a tight hug. "Thank you for everything."

Euphemia patted her back fondly before drawing away and giving them all a last tender smile. "Much love, dears. Have a safe journey."

They waved and said their farewells before she disappeared into the busy station. James turned to them and grinned.

"Well," he said, "our sixth year awaits us, lads – and lady," he added with a bow to Cassie. "Shall we get on with it?"

"Please," Cassie said. "We have two minutes left."

James just winked before vanishing through the barrier. Peter followed, then Remus, leaving Cassie and Sirius on the other side.

"I don't want to see her again," said Sirius suddenly. He stared at the brick wall, his eyes dark, and Cassie finally understood why he'd been so withdrawn that morning. It never even occurred to her that they might run into Sirius's mother on the platform if she'd come to see Regulus off.

"Maybe you won't have to," she said. "The train's about to leave, anyway. She might already be gone."

He nodded, gritting his teeth. "Maybe you're right." He sighed. "Let's get this over with."

He stepped through the barrier and vanished.

Cassie sighed, glancing around to make sure no Muggles were watching before following.

Platform 9 ¾ was devoid of its usual mayhem when she crossed over, but it was probably because all the students had already boarded the scarlet steam engine. She spotted the Marauders loading their luggage into a compartment near the back and started toward them, ignoring the parents and families that stood to watch the train leave.

She was only a few feet away from the train when a blinding flash lit up her world, stopping her in her tracks as Osbourne shrieked within his cage.

Dazed, Cassie blinked rapidly to clear her vision, only for another flash to stun her as a clamor of voices began speaking.

"Cassie Alderfair! How do you feel knowing your brother is in prison for the murder of your parents—?"

"Cassie, why weren't you present for your brother's trial when he was sentenced to life in Azkaban—?"

"Miss Alderfair, what is it like knowing that you are now one of the wealthiest witches in the world—?"

"Miss Alderfair! Cassie! Cassiopeia Alderfair!"

When the black spots disappeared from her vision, Cassie found herself swarmed with photographers and reporters. They all jockeyed with each other for better positions as she stared, dumbfounded.

A witch with rigid blonde curls and spectacles studded with rhinestones thrust herself to the front of the pack. She nearly crashed into Cassie and had to catch herself on Cassie's arm, her long crimson nails digging painfully into Cassie's skin before she righted herself.

"Cassie," the witch said, breathless. She smiled and a golden tooth winked at her. "Rita Skeeter, special correspondent for the _Daily Prophet._ I reached out to you several times over the summer for an exclusive interview—"

"Er, yeah," Cassie said, too distracted watching the Skeeter woman fumble in her crocodile-skin handbag and still disoriented from the sudden attention to say much else. "Listen, I've got to board the train, it's about to leave—"

An acid-green Quick-Quotes Quill flew into her face, released from Rita Skeeter's handbag, along with a notepad. The witch gave no indication that she'd heard her.

"I'm currently working on a biography for Armando Dippet," she said. "It's going to be _quite_ sensational, if I do say so myself – but _you,_ my dear." Rita Skeeter smiled at her again, and Cassie tried not to back away from the predatory gleam in her gaze. "You're the one everyone's talking about – the young Alderfair heir. Alone after her parents' tragic demise and her brother's fall from grace—"

"What? I—" Cassie swatted away the quill that had begun writing beside her head and gaped at the lurid green ink it had scrawled on the notepad. "And I am not _a poor orphan girl with tears streaming down my rosy cheeks when you bring up my parents' deaths!"_

The Hogwarts Express blew a shrill warning just then. Angry and mortified, Cassie shoved her way through the throng of reporters, not even caring if her trolley ran over some of their toes in the progress.

Rita Skeeter kept even pace with her. "Just think of what I can make you, dear! Young, beautiful, wealthy – you have it all in the palm of your hand! With a stroke of my quill, I can make you _famous—"_

"Shove off," Cassie snapped. She was so close to the compartment. Just a few more steps…

She almost collapsed in relief when Sirius appeared before her, roughly shoving a photographer out of her path to the train. He reached for her as James, Remus, and Peter swooped in and grabbed her trolley, hauling her luggage into the compartment just as the steam engine began to chug.

"Bugger off and leave her alone," Sirius said to the crowd. He didn't raise his voice, but his Black mask had come out – cold, haughty, and dangerous.

Rita Skeeter nearly salivated.

"Sirius Black," she said, her quill poised beside her. "Would you care to address the rumors of you running away from home and being disowned this summer? Or that you are in a relationship with Cassie Alderfair?"

"No," he said savagely. He practically threw Cassie into the compartment before boarding himself. The reporters swarmed closer, but he gave them all an obscene hand gesture before slamming the door in their faces just as the train began moving.

Cassie sat down heavily in the seat beside Remus. Her breaths were rattling and loud in the silent compartment, and her hands shook so badly she had to put them between her knees and squeeze her legs together.

"Those vile people," she said, her voice tremulous. "Don't they have anything better to do than hound an underage witch going back to school?"

Remus put a hand on her knee. She relaxed slightly at the comforting touch. "No, they don't. They'll do anything for a rubbish story and a quick Galleon. That's not your fault."

Cassie looked to him desperately, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I'm never going to be invisible again, am I?"

He smiled gently and squeezed her knee. "Probably not. But that doesn't mean you can't write your own story."

And for some reason, she believed him.

* * *

Once they were safely out of London and Cassie had calmed down, she stretched her arms over her head and announced that she would see them all at Hogwarts.

James turned on her, affronted. "Where are you going?"

Sirius sat up from where his head had been resting in her lap. "Yeah, what gives?"

She stood, grabbed her rucksack, and poked a few treats into Osbourne's cage. The owl hooted sleepily in thanks before hiding his head under his brown wing once more.

When the Marauders still stared at her, confused and offended, she made a face back at them. "I'm going to find Lily, Alice, and Marlene. And _no,_ you may not come with," she added, holding up a hand when James made to jump from his seat. "I haven't seen them since the funeral. I need girl time."

"Then take Peter with you," Sirius said, flopping back on the seat she'd vacated and smirking when Peter said, "Oi! Not funny!"

James pouted. "So, you're ditching us?"

She rolled her eyes. "James, I just spent half the holiday at your house."

"Your point?"

"My _point_ is: don't be needy."

"She's right," Remus said. He smiled at her. "Go find your friends, Cass. We'll see you at the feast."

She stuck out her tongue at James and gave the rest of them a wave before beginning her search for the girls. Even though they'd kept up through letters over the holiday, they'd all been far too busy to ever meet up, and she missed them like mad.

She made her way through the corridor, passing compartments that housed all sorts of students, but none contained her friends. She kept an eye out for any Slytherins, but luckily, they seemed to be in a different part of the train. _That_ she could be grateful for – she doubted they'd forgotten the battle in the bathroom at the end of last term, and she really didn't fancy getting into a duel before she'd even set foot in Hogwarts. Especially if she happened to run into Avery again.

Just the thought of the Slytherin made her scowl. She hadn't told anyone that she'd spoken to him the night of Peter's birthday – and she especially hadn't told anyone that he'd kissed her. Least of all Sirius; he'd likely go berserk if he knew. And though she'd pay good money to watch her boyfriend pummel that snake into the dirt, it didn't matter. Avery made no threats against her and he had nothing to hold over her. If he wanted to delude himself into thinking that he had a chance with her – that she was his _hope_ – then that was his own problem, not hers.

She muscled her way through a group of Hufflepuffs, ignoring the way they stared at her as she passed. After fifteen minutes of fruitless searching, she was just about to give up and go back to the Marauders' compartment when she heard, "Cassie! Over here!"

She looked up, her face splitting into a wide smile when she saw three familiar heads poking out of a compartment door ahead and waving to her.

Muttering a quick apology to the Hufflepuffs, Cassie broke into a jog and positively threw herself into the arms of Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, and Alice Fortescue.

The four girls squealed and giggled as they hugged; Cassie could barely breathe from Alice squeezing her middle so tightly. When they finally broke apart, breathless and beaming, Cassie had to wipe away a few stray tears.

"You all have absolutely no idea how good it is to see you," she said, clasping Alice's hand, who was nearest her.

Lily's smile was watery, but she was as beautiful as ever when she gestured to Cassie. "Come in; sit. Tell us everything."

Cassie kept a grip on Alice's hand as she shrugged off her rucksack and sat down. Alice took the seat next to her and immediately rested her head on Cassie's shoulder, sniffling. Cassie ruffled her short brown hair and smiled; she'd always been closest to Alice, ever since their first year at school, and a piece of her heart she hadn't known she was missing began to fill again now that they were back together.

Lily and Marlene sat across them, both looking well-rested and more colored from their holiday. Marlene's blonde curls draped her shoulders artfully, her blue eyes sparkling, and she grinned at Cassie with her usual mischief, though it was touched by something sharper now. Lily's emerald gaze assessed her, observant as always, and Cassie noticed that she'd cut her hair; Lily's wavy red locks had always been a source of envy for Cassie, but she admired the way it brushed the tops of her shoulders now, adding depth and maturity to her features. Even Alice – with her cropped brown hair, light blue eyes, and bubbly personality – seemed older, more serious.

Perhaps the war was already taking its toll on them.

"Well," Marlene said, lounging back in her seat. "Let's start off easy. How was your holiday, Cass?"

"Good. All things considering." She shrugged. "It was nice, being with my aunt and her family. Away from…everything."

"You said you stayed with Potter the rest of the time, right?" Lily asked. She kept her expression neutral, but Cassie wondered if that was a glint of worry in her eyes – a question she didn't want to voice aloud.

She stored that information away for later and nodded. "Yeah. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were there, too."

Marlene smirked. "And?"

Cassie stared at her blankly. "And what?"

They all groaned. Even Alice pulled her head back to stare at Cassie, incredulous.

"Don't be thick," she said. "You were with Sirius for weeks—"

"—Out of school—" Lily added.

"— _And_ you two are dating," Marlene said. "So, did you do it?"

Cassie frowned. "Are you asking if I shagged Sirius?"

The girls groaned again.

" _Yes,_ you bloody idiot." Marlene rolled her eyes. "Come on – give us details!"

"Er, we didn't," Cassie said. Her face grew warm when her friends stared at her in disbelief. "What? It's the truth!" She crossed her arms. "I haven't even seen him…undressed."

 _"What?"_ Alice squawked.

Cassie's face burned with the heat of a thousand suns. "I've told you this before! It's not like I don't want to do anything with him – because I _do_ – it's just – nothing ever goes the way I plan." She hung her head. "I made a joke to him before we started dating – that I wanted to be courted like a proper pure-blood. I'm afraid…that he took it seriously." She sighed. "Or maybe he just doesn't want to. Maybe he thinks I'm a prude and that _I_ don't want to." She put her chin in her hands. "We've never really had the opportunity to talk about it more. Even when I'm…with him…all I can think about is _not_ thinking. Does that make sense?"

"Not one bit," Alice chirped. Her smile dimmed when Lily glared at her. "What?"

"I think it makes perfect sense," Lily said. She turned back to Cassie, her gaze earnest. "You don't have to rush things, Cass. Especially with everything you've gone through recently." She bit her lip at the mention of the hippogriff in the room and the compartment tensed.

Cassie let out a tight breath. "Yeah." She rubbed a hand over her face. "Carlisle's dead."

Lily nodded. "We know. It was in the _Prophet_ a few weeks ago – well, barely. It was crammed into a small corner near the back."

"Death Eaters?" Marlene asked Cassie.

"It's suspected – which means yes," she said. "At least, that's what James's dad said. He's an Auror."

Alice shuddered. "That's so scary. I mean, good riddance she's gone. But to go out like _that_ …"

Lily looked back to Cassie, hesitating before saying, "And Will?"

Cassie's heart plunged into an icy cavern at the mention of her brother.

"In Azkaban." Her words were clipped. "For life. I haven't said anything to him since the funeral. And I don't plan to."

The three girls exchanged a glance that she pretended not to see.

"Well, we're still here." Lily spread her hands. "We made it to our sixth year. That's something to celebrate."

Cassie snorted. "Yes, thank Merlin that I haven't been murdered yet." When Lily paled, she winced. "Sorry. Too soon?"

Marlene burst out laughing. "Oh, Cass. I missed you."

"Yeah," Alice said, bumping Cassie's shoulder with her own. "Life sure gets boring whenever you're not around causing trouble."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I don't cause trouble – trouble just happens to find me."

"We know," Lily said with a small smile. "Let's just hope that this year, things can go back to normal."

"With my luck?" Cassie rested her head on the back of her seat and sighed. "I doubt it."

* * *

Hogwarts Castle loomed out of the darkness like a ghost ship.

Its high turrets and towers speared through the heavy clouds and rain that had followed them from London, its dark stones flickering white whenever lightning danced across the sky. The windows blazed with golden light, beckoning the returning students with warmth and cheer despite the dreadful storm. Cassie, Lily, Marlene, and Alice dashed up the stairs, through the courtyard, and into the Entrance Hall, soaked through and chilled to the bone as thunder rolled across the distant Black Lake.

Cassie wrung out her hair and said a quick prayer for the first-years trekking across the lake in their boats with Hagrid before pulling out her wand. "Ugh. If we have wards to keep out Muggles and Death Eaters, then can we get some to keep out the weather, too?" She waved her wand, muttering _"Impervius"_ to dry herself as her friends did the same.

No one answered her, as just then the Marauders appeared.

"Evans!" James said. His hand leapt to his hair on reflex, slicking back the wet strands. He grinned at Lily. "Did you miss me?"

Cassie mentally slapped her forehead at his arrogance. Alice and Marlene exchanged a wary glance, ready to intervene should things get ugly, but Lily surprised everyone when she merely shrugged.

"I certainly didn't miss your attitude, Potter," she said coolly.

Cassie stared. The jab was there – the insult Lily always had reserved for James whenever he decided to annoy her. But the venom that usually accompanied it was gone. Instead, Lily gestured for Cassie, Alice, and Marlene to follow her.

"Come on," she said. "The Sorting starts soon."

Alice and Marlene went with her, but Cassie hung back, bewildered. Even James seemed gobsmacked.

"Five words without a Bat-Bogey." Remus whistled. "I think that's a new record for you, Prongs."

Sirius's eyes darted between Cassie and the Great Hall where Lily had gone. "What's wrong with Evans?"

Cassie frowned at him. "What are you on about?"

 _"That—"_ Sirius pointed after Lily "—is not normal."

Cassie shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe she finally got tired of taking the piss out of poor Prongsie."

James wrenched his head back to her from where he'd been staring after Lily. "One: _never_ call me that again." He held up a finger. "And two: tell me how to keep this going."

"Now what are _you_ on about?"

"Evans!" He waved his arms wildly. "This is the first time since third year that she hasn't looked at me like a Dungbomb she found on the bottom of her shoe!" He gripped Cassie's shoulders. "How do I make it happen again?"

"First of all, by not being a freak," she said, prying his fingers off her robes. "And I already told you that I'm not getting in between you and Lily. If you want this to happen, you have to do it yourself."

"Can we worry about this later?" Sirius said, grabbing Cassie's hand. "I want to get good seats, so we're not trapped by the firsties."

"Good call," Remus said, leading the way into the Great Hall before James could protest. Cassie held out her other hand for James and he took it, looking quite lovesick as she pulled him along to the Gryffindor table.

The magical ceiling swirled with inky clouds and threads of lightning amongst the floating candles as they sat down next to Lily, Alice, and Marlene. (James, thankfully, refrained from drooling on the empty golden plates before them when Lily cast him a cursory glance.)

The Hall buzzed with chatter and excitement as the students waited for the Sorting Ceremony to start. Cassie caught a few glances snuck her way and heard some whispers, but she tuned them out as best she could, not wanting a repeat from earlier with the reporters on Platform 9 ¾. Besides, she was hardly the biggest topic for gossip at the moment. Marlene had informed them on the train that Karen Hartley – a fellow Gryffindor – had been pulled out of Hogwarts and gone into hiding with her Muggle family due to the increasing violence against Muggle-borns. And when Cassie glanced around the Hall, spotting a dozen or so empty seats along the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables, she guessed that Karen would not be the only face they'd be missing that year.

"Oh, look!" Alice said, tugging on Cassie's sleeve. "The staff table – down on the left. I think that's our new Defense teacher!"

They all followed Alice's direction and looked up to the staff table. Indeed, at the left wing of the table – directly in front of the Slytherins – sat a wizard that Cassie had never seen at Hogwarts before.

He was the youngest one at the staff table by far – perhaps in his early thirties, if she had to guess. His dark hair was long, falling past his shoulders with the front tied back from his face. He was incredibly handsome, if not for the thick scars that spiderwebbed across one half of his face. In the candlelight, the scars stood out even harsher against his russet skin. As the last of the stragglers filed into the Hall and the students were left waiting, attention turned to the newcomer and speculation broke out. The wizard didn't seem to care, though; he simply lounged in his seat, silent and brooding.

"I'm equal parts terrified and aroused right now," Marlene murmured as they stared at him.

Alice choked. "Mar! He's a teacher! You can't say that."

"Says who?"

"He looks like a total badass," Sirius said. "I wonder how he got those scars?"

"He seems mean," Peter squeaked.

"Will you all stop staring?" Remus broke in, exasperated. "It's rude."

But there was no need for Remus's admonishment, for just then, Professor McGonagall marched in with a stool and the Sorting Hat, leading a line of frightened first-years into the Hall.

"Godric, this is so boring," Sirius muttered beside her. "Why can't they just do this in private while the rest of us eat? I'm starving."

Cassie elbowed him playfully. "I'm sure everyone was saying the same thing when that was us up there, too. Patience."

He pecked her cheek. "Always am," he purred in her ear, and her face flushed when she suddenly remembered her conversation with the girls on the train. He brushed a finger down the side of her neck when no one was looking. "Why are you blushing?"

"It's hot in here," she lied. The Great Hall was certainly not the place where she wished to discuss what was on her mind.

His breath hit the shell of her ear when he chuckled, and her spine locked. "You've always been a terrible liar, you know that?"

The Sorting Ceremony started, and the Hat began to sing its annual song. She looked to him over her shoulder when everyone's attention shifted to the Sorting Hat.

"I'll tell you later," she whispered.

"No fair. I don't want to listen to this shit. Just tell me."

She shook her head, facing forward again, but he tugged on her hair. _"Caasssiieeee…"_

She smacked his hand away. "Stop it. You're acting like a child."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and slid her closer along the bench. She hissed, partly from annoyance and partly because being near him was only making her face redder.

"What's got you so riled up, Princess?" he asked, keeping his voice low as the Sorting Hat concluded its song and applause broke out.

"Nothing that needs to be discussed at this exact moment," she said back, clapping along with the rest as Professor McGonagall read off the first name to be Sorted.

"Humor me." When she said nothing, his grip tightened on her waist. "You know I'm not going to give up until you tell me."

She crossed her arms.

"All right. Can I guess?"

"If that's what you want."

He fell silent, thinking. Cassie sat, watching the Sorting and clapping whenever someone became a Gryffindor. Several names went by without a word from Sirius and she began to relax, figuring he'd given up, until he leaned in and said, "Got it."

"And your answer?"

"Should I tell you, or shall I just demonstrate?"

Her stomach erupted with butterflies. She couldn't even say anything to him for fear that she would vomit one out if she opened her mouth. There was no possible way he could've guessed what she'd wanted to talk about – but then again, Sirius had always been unfairly perceptive.

She swallowed and forced the words out. "Say it."

"I missed you on the train." His thumb began to move in light circles around her hip. Even through her robes, the heat of him still scorched her. "And we never got a moment to ourselves last night like we'd planned."

It was true; Cassie had banked on their last night before they went back to Hogwarts being an opportunity to spend time with him alone, as it was almost impossible within the confines of the castle. But James insisted they play Gobstones and sip on some firewhiskey he'd stashed under his bed, and so her plan had not borne fruit.

She tried to ignore the heat spreading throughout her body as she said, "And what about it?"

He shrugged against her back. "I just figured we could have some fun to liven up such a boring ceremony."

"You do realize we're entirely surrounded by witnesses, yeah?"

He leaned in close and whispered, "But that's what makes it more fun."

Oh, Godric. Her body went tense and loose at the same time, and she cursed violently in her head. Damn Sirius Black and his effortless ease to charm and flirt. And damn herself for giving into him without even bothering to put up a fight.

These hormones were going to be the death of her.

"Be discreet." She kept her eyes fixed up front, though she sensed him grin as he kissed her cheek and said, "Just tell me when."

She didn't say anything as his hand disappeared beneath her robes, coming to rest just below the hem of the skirt she wore underneath as Professor McGonagall called out, "Foss, Demetria!"

She glanced around to make sure no one saw, but everyone's eyes were on the Sorting as little Demetria Foss went to Ravenclaw, and Sirius was smart enough to keep his arm still even as his hand moved beneath the table, his thumb stroking along her stocking-clad thigh lazily.

Cassie leaned back against him, crossing her arms and feigning boredom despite every nerve within her standing on-edge. The warmth of his hand seeped into her skin, and tendrils of fire followed wherever his roaming fingers went. He kept his hand above her skirt, simply exploring the space between her knee and the hem. Half of her wanted him to keep it there, while the other half silently begged him to go higher and _higher_ —

As if he could somehow read her traitorous thoughts, his fingers trailed up, pushing her skirt with the movement. He paused. When she remained silent, his fingers resumed their languid stroking, dancing across her mid-thigh, his thumb occasionally dipping along the inner.

Whenever he did this, fire flared in her belly, reaching up from the depths to lick at her ribcage, her lungs, her chest. Professor McGonagall was in the 'O' names now; Cassie clapped when "Malik Ornin" came to Gryffindor, and Sirius let out a loud whistle that made the Gryffindor table laugh even as his hand skated higher up her thigh.

It wrapped around her upper thigh now, the edge of his palm pressing into the fold between her leg and her hip. His fingers squeezed where her bum began to take shape, but her attention was fixated on his thumb as it brushed the sensitive apex of her thigh, tantalizingly close to the source of her heat.

The fire in her belly was roaring now, hungry for more. The world around her shrank until it was nothing more than her and Sirius, his thumb lapping just at the edge, just out of reach.

Why had she ever been so afraid of her own wants? This desire – it was _glorious._ The pulsating heat, the intoxicating feel of him… She wanted more, and she never wanted him to stop.

She shifted in her seat. _Do it,_ her mind urged him. _Don't stop._

But he cleared his throat behind her and withdrew his hand, leaving her thigh abruptly. The fire bellowed in defiance. She whirled around, and he chuckled at the look on her face as the Hall erupted with applause around them.

"The Sorting's over," he said, clapping along. "The feast is about to start."

Cassie looked up, indeed seeing Professor McGonagall departing with the Sorting Hat. Her face burned. Had she really been that wrapped up to not notice what was going on around her?

Professor Dumbledore stood from the head of the staff table. His snow-white beard looked ethereal in the golden light, his half-moon spectacles winking like tiny stars. He raised a hand and the Hall fell silent.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" he said. "Despite the weather, I am glad to see that most of you made it here without issue – especially those of you who are joining us for the first time." A few scattered cheers went up around the Hall. The first-years looked utterly terrified at being addressed by the Headmaster. "Now, before we begin our Start-of-Term feast, I do have a few start-of-term announcements to make."

He swept a hand along the staff table. "Firstly, it is my pleasure to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor – Professor Lochan Staghart!"

There was tentative applause that turned into mutters and exclamations as Professor Staghart got to his feet. Even the fire in Cassie's gut was quelled when she took in their new professor more fully.

"Godric, he's _huge,"_ Alice whispered.

Marlene grinned. "I hope."

Alice was right; though not nearly as tall or wide as the gamekeeper Hagrid, Professor Staghart had an intimidating stature. He stood at least a head taller than Professor Dumbledore – a tall wizard already – and beneath his rich red robes, he was well-endowed with muscle.

He gave a slight nod to the House tables as Professor Dumbledore continued.

"Professor Staghart has kindly taken time out of his busy and highly dangerous career to teach for us at Hogwarts. As a Curse-Breaker working for both Gringotts Wizarding Bank and the Ministry of Magic, he has proved an exceptionally talented and dedicated wizard, and I am confident in his aptitude to pass on all he has learned to the rest of you."

"Blimey." James let out a low whistle. "A Curse-Breaker? That's some serious shit."

Lily nodded. "I heard it's an incredibly difficult job – and deadly. I bet that's how he got those scars."

Professor Staghart sat down and Professor Dumbledore went on.

"I must also inform you all of some basic rules here at Hogwarts. Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that Dungbombs and dueling in the corridors are expressly prohibited. He has also filled out a list of banned or forbidden objects which can be found in its entirety on his office door located here on the ground floor."

James snickered. "Don't worry; it'll be gone by tomorrow."

Peter blinked. "How?"

James just rolled his eyes. "Hopeless."

"It is also my duty to reiterate that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to students." His sharp blue eyes traveled to the Gryffindor table. Cassie and the Marauders shared a sheepish glance. "Given its name, I'd hoped that particular rule would stick, but we all need a reminder from time to time."

There were a few chuckles as Professor Dumbledore raised his hands. "But now, the feast!" Food and drink appeared along the House tables, and a mad dash ensued as everyone made to fill their plates and goblets. Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Dig in!"

Cassie took his words to heart, and by the time the feast was finished, and they began the long trek to Gryffindor Tower, she felt close to bursting with the amount of food she'd eaten.

They gave the Fat Lady the password ( _"hear me roar"_ – "Oh, how charming!" she tittered. "My little lions!") and climbed through the portrait hole. When they emerged into the common room, James spread his arms and cried, "Home sweet home!"

Cassie agreed wholeheartedly as she looked around the cozy tower room. Being back at Hogwarts, she felt like she was grounded again. Here, she was safe. Here, the real world went away again, if only for a little while.

How long her peace lasted, of course, was another matter entirely.

* * *

 **Please review! I've noticed that comments have dipped slightly, so if there's anything you have to say, don't hesitate to leave feedback :) And my PM box is always open for those of you who might prefer more private comments. (Bonus points to whoever finds the _Game of Thrones_ reference this chapter!)**

 **And we're back at Hogwarts! With a new DADA teacher! A whole year awaits us now. What could possibly go wrong?**

 **Next Chapter: _The Curse-Breaker_**

 **xx**

 **(PS - _The Clockwork Locket_ is on AO3 now! So if you're ever in the mood for a re-read, you can find me under the same username as here.)**


	7. The Curse-Breaker

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Thanks for all the new favorites/follows, and thank you to those of you who reviewed!**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **The Curse-Breaker**

One thing Cassie hadn't missed about Hogwarts was how early she had to wake up to prepare for lessons.

Of course, it didn't help that she'd had another nightmare about her parents. Only this time, instead of Will and Lord Voldemort standing over their bloody bodies and holding their hearts, she'd been forced to watch, silently screaming from the corner, as green flashes lit up the night and a high, cold voice laughed. Her sleep after that was fitful, at best, and when dawn came around, she gave up and started to wash and dress for the day.

Her friends were still sleeping peacefully when she grabbed her bag, snuck out of the dormitory, and entered a blissfully empty common room. She decided to head to the Great Hall early and climbed through the portrait hole, the Fat Lady yawning loudly behind her and uttering a greeting before promptly falling asleep again.

Cassie reached the trick staircases on the seventh floor and prepared to catch the next one to swing by, but she looked up when she heard footsteps from the opposite direction of the corridor and saw Mary MacDonald walking toward her.

The Ravenclaw girl must have come from her own tower, and she spotted Cassie at the same time she did. Her steps faltered a bit, but she approached Cassie anyway and nodded slightly to her.

Cassie grasped for something to say, her throat suddenly dry at the sight of the Ravenclaw. The image of Mary's body crumpled at the bottom of the grand marble staircase last term forced its way to the front of her mind, and she couldn't help remembering the way her blonde hair had stained from her own blood.

"Mac – Mary." Cassie tried for a smile. "How are you?"

Mary seemed taken aback by her cordial greeting. "I'm all right…Cassie." She said her name as if it were a foreign word. "Um, I'd ask about your holiday, but…"

Cassie smiled tightly. "Yeah. That's a topic for a midnight drinking session, trust me."

Mary snorted. "I know the feeling."

The two girls shared a tentative smile before Cassie gestured to the moving staircases. "I'm going down to breakfast. Care to walk with me?"

"Are you sure I'm not going to be attacked again if I'm seen with you?" Mary raised a perfectly arched brow at her, and Cassie's stomach dropped.

"Mary, I'm so sorry – I didn't even think—" she stammered, horrified at her own callousness, but Mary waved off her stuttering with a smirk.

"Relax, Cassie. I'm not blaming you for what happened to me." A staircase connected to their corridor and she hopped on. After a slight hesitation, Cassie followed her. Mary leaned against the bannister with her hip and sighed. "I had a feeling that something might happen if I told you what I overheard last term. But I just couldn't keep it to myself, y'know? That could've been you in my place."

Cassie swallowed past the lump in her throat as they changed staircases. "Why help me at all, though? You made it pretty clear last year that you weren't exactly my biggest fan."

She grimaced. "Yeah, I know. And I'm sorry for that. I never meant to start rumors about you and the Marauders, or whatever they call themselves. Dorcas and I…yeah, we were definitely being twits, no denying that." She suddenly eyed Cassie curiously. "But one of those rumors turned out to be true, right? You and Black?"

"Yep." Cassie nodded. "I hope you at least won that bet, seeing as the one over Remus never panned out."

Mary laughed and Cassie found herself smiling. She had an infectious laugh – light and tinkling, like a bell. For how much of a catty witch Mary had been to her at the start of their fifth year, she was starting to grow on Cassie the more they talked.

"Oh, for sure." She grinned. "Dorcas was pissed she owed me a Galleon. But for a long time, it really seemed like you and Lupin were going in that direction."

Cassie scoffed. "Remus and me? No way. We're practically related at this point."

"True," she conceded, "but you both had the whole school convinced that you were something more before Black came into the picture."

Cassie looked away, uncomfortable, and she was grateful when they got off on the fifth floor and continued to the Great Hall. They walked in a relatively relaxed silence throughout the empty corridors, but when they reached the top of the marble staircase Mary stopped, her gaze fixed on the spot where she'd been lying in a pool of her own blood only several weeks before.

"You want to know why I helped you, Cassie?" she asked suddenly.

Cassie glanced to her, apprehensive. Mary turned forest-green eyes on her, solemn and haunted. She seemed ten years older in that moment – nothing like the petty, jealous girl that had given Cassie hell just a year ago.

Cassie swallowed. "Why?"

"Because you were fighting for the right side." She looked away, back to the bottom of the stairs, and her voice lowered. "Despite your brother, despite your family, you were standing up to the blood supremacists and purists anyway. I knew that when I overheard those people talking about killing you. I realized how brave you were – and how much I wasn't. That instead of doing something productive against those wizards, I was spending my time gossiping and spreading rumors."

She took a deep breath. "I'm a Muggle-born," she admitted. "I know what it's like to be looked down on, to be judged by something you can't change." She lifted her gaze and stared hard at Cassie. "But I'm not afraid. Not anymore. The coward who attacked me only built me up stronger, not weaker. And if you can fight now – here – for what's right, then so can I."

Cassie eyed the Ravenclaw with a new regard as the sun burst through the castle windows around them, bathing the staircase and Entrance Hall in gold. Voices drifted out to them from the Great Hall below, early-risers like themselves. Cassie held out her arm.

"Then let's show them we're not afraid," she said.

In the morning light, the two witches shared a smile that could rattle mountains and crumble stars.

Mary took her arm, and they walked into the Hall together.

* * *

"I'm a fool," Alice moaned, flopping back on the grass near the shore of the Black Lake and flinging an arm over her eyes.

Cassie, Marlene, and Lily shared a glance as they sat beside her. The storms of yesterday had passed on, and the day had turned sunny and warm with a cool breeze that flowed from the lake. The sixth-year Gryffindors had received their class schedules from Professor McGonagall that morning at breakfast, and they were now taking advantage of the free block they had between lunch and their afternoon lessons.

"I mean, we've known that for a while," Marlene joked. "But why, exactly, are you a fool?"

Alice flipped her off while Cassie and Lily snickered. "I'm a fool, dear Marlene, because I thought we were done with hard work after O.W.L.s. Now come to find out, they were only preparing us for the worse torture that is N.E.W.T. year."

Marlene sighed. "Yeah. I can't believe we already have homework for Transfiguration and Charms. It's only the first day of lessons." She sprawled out next to Alice. "Kill me now."

Cassie poked her side. "The lake's right there. I'm sure the giant squid would think you're quite tasty."

Marlene wriggled away from her finger. "Not _right_ now. We haven't been to Defense yet. And I'd _really_ hate to die before I got a chance to see Professor Tall, Dark, and Handsome up close."

Lily scoffed. "Well, at least we know Mar's fascination of the month now."

"Have you _seen_ him?" Marlene sighed dreamily. "He's like a Greek god come to life. The _muscles_ on that man…"

"We were all there at dinner last night, Mar," Alice pointed out. "We saw him. _And_ we listened to you gush about him in the dorm, too."

"And we heard you moaning his name in your sleep…" Cassie said, and laughed when Marlene smacked her.

"No worse than you," she retorted. She mimicked a high-pitched mewl that sounded nothing like Cassie. "'Oh, Sirius, _yes._ Don't stop – right there – _yes'_ —"

"You're all horrible," Cassie grumbled when her friends giggled.

"But while we're on the subject…" Marlene sat up and eyed Lily. Lily paused, halfway through pulling out a clump of grass by her knees. She stared at Mar, uncomprehending, while Marlene smiled mischievously. "Two days back at school, and you haven't jinxed Potter once. What gives, Lils?"

Lily huffed. "Oh, no. I am _not_ talking about Potter."

Marlene waggled her eyebrows. "And why not? You were awfully concerned about him after the fiasco in the bathroom last term…"

Lily's face turned red. "Because I thought he was _dying_ after what Sev – _Snape_ – did to him!"

The temperature around the lake seemed to drop ten degrees at the mention of Severus Snape. Even Alice removed her arm from over her eyes and sat up, watching Lily carefully as she went back to ripping grass with a scowl on her face.

"Did you talk to him?" Alice asked, keeping her voice low despite no one being around them. "I know he lives nearby you back home…"

Lily shook her head. "I told him I didn't want to see him this summer in a letter. I sent it right before your parents' funeral, Cass, once we got out of school." She ripped another clump of grass forcefully. "He didn't listen. Showed up at my house every day, trying to get me to come outside so he could explain himself. Like there was anything _to_ explain."

She opened her palm and watched the grass she'd pulled float away on the breeze. "My dad finally had to tell him to stop coming around. I wanted to feel bad for him but I just – _couldn't."_ She shook her head again. "How could someone who was my best friend just say something so awful? And _Potter,_ tormenting him like that before…" She closed her hand into a fist. "They're both rotten. I want nothing to do with either of them."

Cassie exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Marlene and Alice before clearing her throat. "So, to get this out of the way before we have a repeat of last year…"

Lily turned to Cassie, stricken. "Oh, Cass, no. I don't want to fight again. We've both made it clear where we stand on the matter. I won't be angry if you continue hanging out with him. As much as I don't want to admit it, he and the other boys are good to you." She sighed. "I just wish I could see the same side of him that you do, so maybe I could understand. But right now I just can't."

Cassie nodded. "I understand, Lils, don't worry," she said, patting her hand. "And I don't expect you to forgive James immediately after what he and Sirius pulled on Snape. But I hope with everything that happened after, they'll think twice about doing something so awful again."

Lily gave her a grateful smile before returning her attention back to the lake, and that was it. They all fell into a comfortable silence as they enjoyed the brief respite between lessons and the outdoors, especially with autumn coming so soon.

Cassie was curled on her side, dozing with her bag under her head, when a sudden buzzing reached her ears. Without opening her eyes, she swatted at the bug, but the buzzing grew louder and more persistent. It was only when something tickled her cheek that she bolted upright, prepared to smash whatever insect dared bother her, but she stopped in confusion when a Golden Snitch hovered near her face before zooming off.

She tracked its movements as best she could, following its path to the beech tree the Marauders usually claimed for their own whenever they were out on the grounds, only it was James who stood under the tree. He waved to her when she spotted him, his other hand snapping out to catch the Snitch with incredible reflexes.

She rolled her eyes and stood up, collecting her things and muttering "I'll be back" to the girls. They only responded with faint grumbles, too busy soaking up the sunshine. She walked to where James waited for her.

"This better be good," she said when she reached him. She threw her bag on the ground and sat down again, nestling in the roots of the tree and propping her back against the trunk. Dappled sunlight danced through the leaves, speckling her skin with warmth as James slid down beside her, the Snitch struggling in his hand still.

"I figured going over there wasn't the best move," he said, adjusting his glasses when they slipped down his nose. "Especially if I'm going to be keeping the record for most days in a row without being hexed by Lily Evans."

Cassie grunted. "Where are the others?"

"Sleeping." James grinned when she looked over to him questioningly. "We may or may not have stayed up all night playing drinking games."

She rolled her eyes. "And you're not passed out with them because…?"

He winked. "Because I'm James bloody Potter, love."

She snorted. "It's a wonder how you and Sirius don't hate each other considering the sizes of your egos."

"What's the point in constantly being in a pissing match when you can combine egos to create an even bigger, more monstrous ego?"

"Point taken." Cassie rubbed at her face. "So, what am I doing over here again?"

"Well, since you told me you're not going to help me with Evans…" He grinned when she fixed him with a pointed stare, and he knocked his knee against hers. "I came to see how you were doing."

She frowned. "What do you mean? We've seen each other nearly every day for the past month."

"Yeah, but it was kind of hard to get you alone to talk since Sirius was practically glued to your side the whole time." He raised his brows.

"Take that up with him. He's your boyfriend, too."

James laughed. "I'm serious, Cass. We hardly talked about Will or your parents this summer."

"For good reason." She sighed and rested her head against the trunk. "I didn't _want_ to talk about them. Still don't, really."

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't," he said. "Even Remus mentioned that you barely opened up to him. And you two talk about everything together."

"What more is there to say?" she said in frustration. "Will's in Azkaban plotting Godric-knows-what, my parents are dead – so what? What else could there possibly be?"

"Well, the locket, for starters," he said. "What are you planning to do with it?"

"Nothing, for now. And don't give me that look!" He'd eyed her incredulously. "It's like Remus said – no one knows it came back to me except us five. And Lily, Mar, and Alice will know as soon as I tell them. There's no point in trying to get rid of it again if it just comes right back!"

"We could go to Dumbledore again—" he started, but she scoffed.

"And what can he do? He promised to find Will, but the Death Eaters got there before him. My parents wouldn't be dead right now if he'd just done what he was supposed to!"

Cassie took a deep breath to steady herself when she felt tears coming on. Godric, she was so sick of crying.

James wrapped his arm around her knee. "I'm sorry, Cassie. I'm not trying to push you. I'm just looking out for you. We all are."

"I know." She sniffed. "I shouldn't be snapping at you, anyway. I'm just so…"

She struggled to find the words. But were there any words that could describe what she was feeling? What she'd felt every day since she'd seen her parents lying in their tombs, since Will had disappeared on his suicide mission to Azkaban? Even before then, the past two years had weighed on her so heavily. From Will joining the Death Eaters, to giving her the clockwork locket and the clues to find the Gauntlet of Gryffindor, to stop Voldemort from obtaining it… Had she ever felt normal? Been at peace since then? What was she anymore?

"Hey." James squeezed her knee. "It's all right, Cass."

She shook her head bitterly. "Nothing is all right, James. _Nothing."_

"Then we'll make it better." He said it so easily, so bluntly, as if anything were that simple. "We're James Potter and Cassie Alderfair, remember? The dynamic duo. We're unstoppable together."

She choked out a laugh. "You know, if someone told me last year that I'd become best friends with James Potter, I would've laughed in their face."

"And now here you are." He grinned. "Best friends with three of the Marauders and dating the infamous Sirius Black himself. Quite the change in fortunes."

"Oh, please." She rested her head on his shoulder. "If anything, the four of you are lucky to be friends with _me."_

He chuckled and put his head atop her own. "Right you are, Princess. Right you are."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Cassie arrived with the girls to their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom only to find everyone standing in the corridor, the classroom door closed and locked.

"What's going on?" Marlene wondered aloud. Cassie thought the same thing as she looked around (noticing – much to her irritation and disgruntlement – that they would be having lessons with the Slytherins once again), but Alice pointed to the door.

"There's a list," she said.

Lily pushed through the throng of students to reach the door, Cassie, Alice, and Marlene right behind her.

"It's all of our names," she said, her finger tracing the parchment and tapping EVANS, LILY near the top. "They're all mixed up, though. I think they were randomized."

Cassie huddled near the door with the other girls as they searched for their names. She found her own name – dead last. She sighed. "Just my luck."

"What d'you reckon it's for?" Alice asked.

"Why don't you ask the Mudblood?" someone said behind them.

Cassie whirled around to see Kanin Mulciber, one of the Slytherins who'd cornered them in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom after their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. last term. The hulking Slytherin boy grinned nastily at them, his beady eyes fixed on Lily. Flanking him was Peggy Sloane – a brutish girl who'd done her fair share of attacks on Cassie the year before – Severus Snape, and to her disgust, Avery.

Mulciber sneered at Lily. "After all, the little slug seems to know everything, right?"

Cassie stepped in front of Lily. "Back off, Mulciber. We already proved who's the better dueler last term. Unless you'd like a rematch?"

The corridor had gone still. Gryffindors and Slytherins alike watched the simmering tension with wary eyes and bated breath. Cassie could feel Avery watching her, but that only made her angrier.

Mulciber leered at her. "Of course, the blood traitor rushes to defend her pet Mudblood." His eyes glowed out at her with malicious glee. "Eager to join your parents so soon, Alderfair? Because that's where you'll be headed if you keep siding with scum like _her."_ He jerked his chin at Lily, who'd gone white with rage behind her.

Snape shifted his feet uncomfortably. He looked like a twitchy bat next to Mulciber's considerable girth, his black eyes looking everywhere but at Lily. Peggy Sloane watched Cassie with predatory intensity, and she knew that the Slytherin girl was just waiting for her to make a move. She forced a breath out her nose.

"Better an early grave than following some egotistical maniac on a power trip," she snapped back.

"Just you wait," Mulciber said. "Once we're out of school and we get to the real world, Alderfair, I'll—"

"You'll do what?" Sirius's voice broke in.

He sidled to Cassie's side, the other Marauders materializing behind him to face the Slytherins. If possible, the corridor became even more still. Sirius stared hard at Mulciber; his grey eyes turned to iron. He didn't touch Cassie, but she could feel the cold radiating from him – the unchecked storm lurking beneath his skin.

Peggy Sloane barked out a harsh laugh. "Worse than what your mother did to you this summer, Black!" Mulciber laughed along with her. "How's it feel to be disowned for being a Muggle-loving piece of filth?"

Gasps came from the Gryffindors. The Slytherins chuckled under their breath.

James brushed past Sirius, who'd frozen at the mention of his mother. He glared at Sloane and Mulciber.

"You're lucky we're still in school," he said, his eyes flashing dangerously. "If this _was_ the real world, you'd be—"

But the rest of his sentence was drowned out when the classroom door unlocked and opened with a loud groan from behind them. They turned to see Professor Staghart looming in the doorway, his huge frame nearly taking up the whole thing. He seemed much larger up close; his scars even more menacing. His crimson robes had been swapped for a deep blue coat and a suit like the ones Cassie had seen the Aurors wearing when she visited the Ministry.

He swept tawny eyes over the assembled students, who had gone silent at his appearance. Without so much as a greeting, he turned to the parchment on his door and read out, "McKinnon, Marlene."

Cassie heard Marlene audibly gulp beside her. The blonde witch stepped forward nervously. "Yes?"

Professor Staghart gestured with his head to the classroom behind him. "Come with me."

Everyone watched as Marlene approached the professor. She looked like a doll in comparison. When she got to the door, he raked his gaze over the rest of them.

"Today I will be individually assessing you," he said. His voice was deep and rumbling; Cassie had a sudden view of the Earth's core in her mind when he spoke. "When your name is called, you will come to my office where I will ask you to perform some basic spells for me, so I can better understand what level you're all at before we begin the course. In the meantime, you may wait in the classroom." His eyes landed on Cassie, the Marauders, and Mulciber. "If there are going to be problems, handle it elsewhere. Not on class time."

When no one said anything, he held the door open for Marlene. "Come. The rest of you, please be courteous and patient."

As he led Marlene to the office above the classroom, the rest of them filed in silently. Cassie threw herself into a chair as far away from the Slytherins as she could get, Lily and Alice following suit. The Marauders dragged chairs over to them and sat down. Sirius slid his hand into Cassie's.

"You're shaking," he murmured, swiping his thumb over her knuckles.

"I wonder why," she bit out. She turned to Lily, who still looked quite ashen. "Are you all right?"

"I thought it'd be easier," she said quietly. "The more I heard it – the more people called me a M-Mudblood – I thought the more it wouldn't bother me. But it's still shocking, to hear people say it."

"They're disgusting," James growled. "No one should ever be called that."

Lily said nothing, but she nodded.

"They're looking for a reaction," Remus said. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, his face serious. "Purposefully trying to provoke us after what happened last term. They got away with it, and now they're seeing how far they can take it."

Lily sighed. "I don't care why they're doing it. I don't care at all. Let's just – talk about something else, please?"

Cassie saw her eyes dart to the corner where Severus Snape sat, head down and not talking to any of his Housemates. Recalling their conversation by the lake earlier that day, Cassie nodded and said, "What do you think Professor Staghart's assessing us over?"

Lily shrugged. "Could be anything. Defensive spells, maybe?"

Peter paled. "Do you think he expects us to know them off the top of our head?"

Sirius gave him an incredulous look. "You mean you haven't memorized them at this point?"

"We've learned a million spells! How can I be expected to remember every single one?"

"How did you even make it to sixth year?"

As Sirius and Peter started arguing about the necessities of learning spells, Remus bumped Cassie's shoulder where he sat on her other side. "You all right?"

She rolled her eyes. "I wish everyone would stop asking me that."

He chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll think of something else to ask you." He screwed up his face in faux-concentration. "What do you think the meaning of life is?"

"Not being annoyed by pesky friends."

"You wound me, Cassie!" He pressed a hand over his heart. "I've never been called pesky before!"

She gave him a half-smile. "First time for everything." She glanced around to make sure no one was listening before she leaned in and whispered, "How are you feeling? I know there's only a week left before…" She waved her hand at him, indicating his "furry little problem" as James called it.

His face darkened. "I'm feeling…fine. Not fantastic, but not terrible, either."

She nodded. "Good." She scuffed her shoe on the floor. "I've been meaning to ask you…but do you know of any good books on Animagi I can find in the library by chance?"

"Wait." He stared hard at her. "You don't mean what I think you are."

She twirled a piece of hair around her finger, not meeting his eyes. "You know me better than anyone, Remus. What do _you_ think I mean?"

His eyes slid to Sirius, who was still arguing with Peter, though their debate had grown to encompass James, Alice, and Lily, as well.

"I think it's risky, highly illegal, and dangerous," he said.

"Oh, so if Peter, Sirius, and James want to do it, that's fine, but when it's me, it's not?"

"They went through it because they don't have a lick of common sense and see everything as a rule to be broken," he said. "At least you have some reason about you, which is what I'm trying to appeal to right now."

She flicked her hair over her shoulder in irritation. "I'm doing it whether you approve or not. So either help me or stay mad about it."

"You're entirely impossible, you know that?"

"I'll take that as a yes, then."

He hung his head. "Yes. I'll give you a list of the books that we found to be the most helpful when we were researching. But I still don't think it's a good idea, Cassie."

"Look on the bright side," she joked. "When I practice, you might get to see me naked."

His face flushed bright red, and he groaned when she laughed. "You're as bad as Sirius."

"Wrong," she said as the door to Professor Staghart's office opened. "I'm far worse."

Marlene came to join them as a Slytherin went up the stairs to the office.

"Well?" Alice demanded when the other girl sat down. "What happened? How'd it go?"

"I can't tell you," she said, and shrugged when they all stared at her. "He told me to keep quiet, so no one knew what to expect."

"Great." Alice slumped in her seat. "Just great."

"At least you don't have to go last," Cassie grumbled.

And it was true. The more time that passed and the more she had to wait, the antsier she got, especially when both James and Sirius returned with gloating expressions and refused to tell her what they'd done. The class was nearly over by the time Cassie's name was finally called, and she waved to her friends.

"Don't wait around for me," she said. "I'll just meet you at dinner."

Lily wished her luck and Sirius kissed her cheek before they all left. She turned to the stone staircase and began to climb the steps, fighting down her apprehension the closer to the office she got.

She reached the top of the stairs and paused just on the threshold, fingering her wand in her pocket before Professor Staghart's deep voice called, "Enter."

He stood at a desk piled high with leather-bound books, poring over a file when she walked in. In fact, the entire room seemed more like a library than an office. Shelves filled with books and stacks of parchment and scrolls littered every available surface. Where there was empty space unoccupied by books, strange objects and ancient-looking relics rested, some of them vibrating occasionally or glowing randomly.

It was a stark contrast to Carlisle's sterile decorations the year before – and the professor was, too.

When Cassie entered the room, Professor Staghart flicked his wand and the door shut behind her. He gestured to one of two high-backed chairs perched before the fireplace, which was glowing with dull but warm embers – just enough to keep the hint of autumn out of the drafty castle. "Sit," he said.

She did, setting her bag on the floor beside her while she waited for further instructions. After a long moment, he closed the file he'd been reading with a slap of paper and crossed to the fireplace, taking the seat across from hers.

He settled into the chair with relative ease, given his size. This close to him, he was even more handsome than she'd realized. He had an elegant tilt to his tawny eyes and an attractive curl to his lips, and his jaw was sharp and powerful. But the firelight did nothing to hide the horrible scars on his face. She tried not to stare, but it was hard; from the corner of her eye, she could see that the scars stretched down the side of his neck, too, disappearing beneath the collar of his suit.

"An unfortunate side effect in my line of work," he said when he noticed her gaze. He pointed to his face and she blushed, mortified. "A nasty curse laid over a very powerful witch's tomb. I was young and fresh on the job. Thought I'd make a name for myself finding whatever had been buried with her, but instead I got this."

"I'm sorry," Cassie said. "I didn't mean—"

He waved her off. "Everyone wonders. I figure I should just get it out of the way as soon as I can."

She smiled nervously as he tapped the file in his lap. "Do you know what this is?"

"My student records," she said, recognizing the embossed cover from when she'd had her career advising appointment with Professor McGonagall a few months ago.

He nodded. "Indeed. From what I've gathered, you're a very competent pupil, Miss Alderfair. Yet despite your proficiency in the subject matter you've been given over the years, you've only managed average marks. Why is that?"

She scratched at her arm. "Er…I dunno. Professor McGonagall says it's because I don't apply myself enough—"

"I don't care what Professor McGonagall thinks." He fixed his tawny stare on her. "I want to know why _you_ think that is."

She floundered for something to say. "Um…I – I really don't know. I—"

"Your brother William was a brilliant student." She froze at the mention of Will. Memories of her first class with Carlisle resurfaced, when the witch had mocked her brother's wasted potential by joining the Death Eaters fresh out of Hogwarts. Professor Staghart gave no indication of her sudden tension and went on. "Smart, talented, responsible, popular. He was the golden boy – the shining model of perfection." He tilted his head. "And then there was you."

Cassie forced her hands to unclench in her lap. If he said one more word about her brother – one more bloody word…

His voice rumbled out like thunder. "You were the younger sister. You'd always grown up in your brother's shadow. So why would Hogwarts be any different? You kept your head down, you minded your business, and you never drew any attention to yourself. Not like your brother did."

"With all due respect, Professor," she ground out between gritted teeth, "is this a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson or therapy?"

He smirked at her. "A lesson, of course. And the first lesson you should ever learn is to know your enemy." He gestured to her. "I took your marks from your student records and learned all about you just from those and your name. You're a wealthy witch from a very old family and pure-blood. Pure-bloods are notorious for their disparaging views regarding Muggles and Muggle-borns, but you were Sorted into Gryffindor, so perhaps you're not entirely a blood purist at first glance. Your knowledge is vast, but how you apply that knowledge is stunted, which led me to believe that you limited yourself on purpose in order to not stand out. And to figure out why you'd want to remain invisible…" He spread his hands. "Well, I just guessed. But I was right, wasn't I?"

Cassie stared at him, torn between fury and utter bewilderment. She settled on the latter. "What?"

He set her file aside and continued as if she hadn't spoken. "So, not only do I know you now from a few choice bits of information, but I also know how to use that information to get under your skin. Now that that's done, pull out your wand and enlarge this doll."

A straw doll appeared in his lap after he waved his wand. Cassie stared at it, uncomprehending, before looking back to him.

"What?" she repeated.

He raised a scarred eyebrow at her. "You do know how to perform an Engorgement Charm, yes? You should have learned it in your fourth year."

"Yes, I know how to do it," she said, and added "Sir" when his eyebrow inched higher.

"Good." He placed the doll on the ornamental rug between them. It wasn't even half the size of his foot. "Whenever you're ready, then."

Shaking off her irritation, she pulled out her wand and took a few breaths to steady herself. She flicked her wand. _"Engorgio!"_

The doll grew into the size of a toddler. Professor Staghart nodded approvingly. "Well done. Now shrink it."

Cassie followed the motions of the spell. _"Reducio!"_

Professor Staghart picked up the doll, which had shrunk to the size of a needle. "Very good, Miss Alderfair." He returned the doll to its normal size and once again placed it between them.

"Your previous professor noted that you were adept at producing Shield Charms. I'd like to see it for myself." Cassie nodded and sat up straighter in her seat as he raised his wand. "I'm going to attempt to burn the doll. Your goal is to Shield it from harm. Ready?"

Cassie nodded again. Professor Staghart pointed his wand at the doll. _"Incendio!"_

 _"Protego!"_ she said at the same time.

A small, translucent shield formed around the doll. It wavered a bit under the professor's spell, but held. The doll remained untouched beneath it.

Professor Staghart nodded, impressed, when he stopped casting the spell. "Excellent, Miss Alderfair. I'd like to run through a few more things…"

He grilled her on defensive theories and what to do when cornered by Dark creatures. Cassie answered the questions with ease, her confidence growing with every right answer. Her earlier annoyance subsided the longer she talked with the professor. He was obviously very knowledgeable on the subject, and encouraged her whether she answered correctly or incorrectly and helped her see where she made a mistake. He was loads better than Carlisle, she thought – then again, a clump of seaweed would be better than an ex-Death Eater who was out for her blood.

"Before I let you go for dinner," he said, "I would like to ask you one more question."

"Shoot," she said.

"Have you ever faced a boggart before?"

She blinked. "No. But we studied them in third year. _Riddikulus_ is the charm to repel them; but only laughter can truly defeat them."

"Right." He nodded. His tawny eyes bored into her intently, and the atmosphere in the room shifted. "If you were to face a boggart, Miss Alderfair, what do you think it would be? What is your greatest fear?"

Cassie didn't answer immediately. Her mouth had gone dry at his question, her mind flicking through the images of her nightmares: her parents' broken bodies; Will holding their hearts; Voldemort telling her she would break. But was it Voldemort she feared? Was it her own brother she feared?

The embers crackled in the fireplace for a long time before she answered.

She swallowed. "I don't know if my greatest fear can have a physical manifestation, sir."

He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. "You'd be surprised, Miss Alderfair. Fear is a strangely tangible thing. We like to pretend it's not – that those deepest, darkest fears that take root in our souls can never become real – but everything can be created. Nightmares, monsters, fears – they're all alive. But they can all be killed, too."

Cassie stared at him for a moment before she glanced away, licking her lips. "My greatest fear is losing those I love." She clasped her hands in her lap and squeezed her palms together. "Being…powerless to change their fates. Not being able to save them."

"Yes, you've experienced quite a lot of that already, haven't you?" Professor Staghart murmured.

When she looked back to him, there was no pity in his gaze; no sympathy. Just a deep understanding.

He cleared his throat. "Well, that concludes your assessment, Miss Alderfair. Thank you for your time and effort. I'll see you on Thursday in class."

Cassie was briefly thrown by the abrupt dismissal, but she collected her things and stood. "Right. Er…see you, Professor Staghart."

He nodded to her as she left his office. The classroom was empty when she returned – dinner must have already started. She paused before stepping out into the corridor and looked back over her shoulder.

Professor Staghart stood at the top of the stairs, watching her. When she met his eyes, he inclined his head to her, his scars rippling with the movement.

Standing there under his scrutiny, she felt stripped bare, especially after what she'd admitted to him. He saw right through her. The thin armor she'd worn since her parents' funeral was nothing more than dust and cobwebs to him.

The thought made her uneasy. If he could see past her act, then who else could?

Without a word, Cassie turned and fled the classroom.

* * *

 **Please review! I love hearing your thoughts!**

 **What are your thoughts on the new professor? Is he just another Carlisle or is he something else entirely? We shall see...**

 **Next Chapter: _The Lion and the Serpent_**

 **xx**


	8. The Lion and the Serpent

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Welcome back! This chapter is pretty filler, so I apologize for that. At least I'm not rushing through the plot trying to get to the end so I can start writing for _Star Wars,_ though! (Looking at you, _Game of Thrones_ Season 8 and David Benioff & D.B. Weiss.) (Yes, I'm incredibly salty.)**

 **Anyway, thanks for all the new favorites/follows, and thank you to my reviewers from last time!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 **The Lion and the Serpent**

Cassie awoke early Saturday morning and quietly prepared for the day while her friends slept. She snuck through the common room and made for the library with her book bag and a scrap of parchment Remus had given her the night before with a list of all the Animagi books she'd need.

Dawn stained the castle windows pink as she opened the heavy oak doors and entered the enormous room, filled with seemingly unending shelves that stretched all the way to the ceiling. All the tables and workspaces were empty, which she thanked Godric for; though she had an excuse prepared for anyone who might see her taking out several books on Animagi, running into no one was the better option.

Madam Pince (a severe witch with a hooked nose quite like that of a bird and an unflattering mole on her chin) looked up when Cassie walked in and glared at her with beady eyes, as if to say _make more noise than a mouse and you'll be thrown out by the scruff of your neck._ Cassie ignored the ill-tempered librarian and headed for the bookshelves, reaching into her pocket and taking out the list of titles.

 _Advanced Transfiguration Theories_ by Emeric Switch

 _From Two Legs to Four: How to Become an Animagus – the Right Way!_ by Danika Hornbeam

 _Everyone Has a Beast Inside_ by Willard Prott

 _Claws and Fangs: A Memoir of an Animagus_ by Mica Grouse

Cassie thought that some of the books seemed a little far-fetched, but if Remus and the others had found them helpful, then she might, too. Fortunately, none of the volumes were contained in the Restricted Section, so that made part of her search easier. But as the books did not appear to be very popular or oft used, she began a long and dusty hunt for them.

Her stomach rumbled with hunger by the time she emerged from the sprawl of bookcases, lugging the four volumes to Madam Pince's desk for checkout. The librarian hadn't moved from her perch since Cassie had come in, but she eyed Cassie with her hawk eyes when she slapped the stack of books on the desk.

"Name?" she asked.

"Cassie Alderfair," she replied, wiping her dusty fingers on her jeans.

Madam Pince pursed her lips when she scratched her name down in her book. "And what do you need these books for?"

"Er…research."

The librarian's face soured. "What _kind_ of research?"

"Um, well, I haven't been doing so well in Transfiguration – and I, uh, wanted to do an extra credit project for Professor McGonagall, you see…"

She trailed off when Madam Pince looked her over skeptically. Her heart pounded. _Why_ did she have to be such a terrible liar?

 _Please,_ she thought as the librarian looked between her and the books. _Please, please, please…_

"Very well." Madam Pince slapped her book closed and pushed the stack of volumes back toward Cassie. "But I expect them to be in perfect condition upon their return: no stains, no tears, no folded corners. Any of the above, and you'll pay for damaging school property."

Cassie nodded quickly, stuffing the books into her bag until it nearly burst at the seams. She turned, about to flee the library, but she stopped in her tracks and faced the librarian again.

"Norvina," she blurted out. Madam Pince's pencil-thin eyebrows rose in question. "Um, Norvina. It's a name. I was wondering if you had anything on it in here?"

Madam Pince seemed irritated that Cassie was still there, but she flicked open a tome on her desk that was the size of Cassie's torso. She swished her wand and the tome's pages fluttered in response. Cassie waited, apprehensive, until Madam Pince shook her head.

"No, can't say I do." She looked at Cassie over her gold-rimmed spectacles. "Another research project for Transfiguration?"

Cassie shook her head, squashing her disappointment. "No. Just, uh, curious, I guess."

Before Madam Pince could say another word, Cassie had already rushed out of the library.

* * *

"You should take a break."

Cassie glanced up from _Everyone Has a Beast Inside_ when Sirius plopped down beside her on the loveseat in the Gryffindor Common Room, still dressed in his Quidditch gear. He set his broomstick gently on the floor before giving her a dry look. "You were reading that thing when I left, and that was two hours ago."

"So?" She watched him rake his hair out of his face as he settled back with a sigh. "How were tryouts?"

He shrugged. "Boring. But we found a new Keeper now Weatherly's gone."

"Anyone good?"

He grunted. "Some fifth-year girl. She's not terrible, but she definitely needs to practice a bit more."

Cassie hummed. "And how's the new captain? They gave it to Fritz Wood this year, didn't they?"

"Yeah, much to Prongs's annoyance. I thought for sure he would get it this year."

"Ah, well." Cassie shrugged. "Maybe next year."

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. But Wood's not bad; he's a decent bloke, and he's been working on plays all summer like mad." He shook his head. "Bloke's obsessed with Quidditch – more than Prongs, and that's saying something."

Cassie snorted. "Too true. Speaking of, though, where're he and the others?"

"Kitchens. I came up to get you and see if you wanted to join."

She shook her head. "No, you go ahead. I want to keep reading."

Sirius stared at her. "Damn, you're in deep. I can't even entice you with _food."_

"You said it yourself." She rolled her eyes. "Animagi is a long process. If I want to get it down by the end of the year, then I have to start now."

He flicked the cover of her book. "You still need a break. You'll damage your eyes."

"Thank you, Healer Black. I'll keep that in mind. OI!"

He'd tugged the book out of her hands and now dangled it over the edge of the loveseat. "Take a break, Cass."

She crossed her arms. "I'm not even hungry."

"I can think of something else that'll distract you." He tugged at the laces of his robes suggestively.

She rolled her eyes. "You haven't showered yet. No way am I snogging you."

"Then wait while I do." He raised a brow at her.

"Fine." She held out her hand. "I'll keep reading in the meantime."

He flipped the book in his hand. "Nah." He grinned. "Wait in my bed."

She balked. "Are you out of your mind? The others could walk in at any moment!"

"I'm not saying you should be _naked_ or anything." His grin widened. "Though I wouldn't object if you _were…_ "

She grabbed the throw pillow next to her and threw it at him. He dodged it, laughing, as she grumbled, "Godric, you're insufferable."

"C'mon." He stood up, still holding her book. "Just read it in the dorm."

She rolled her eyes, but followed him up the boys' staircases since he still held her book hostage. He opened the door to the dormitory he shared with the other Marauders and handed her the book.

"I'll be quick," he said, pecking her cheek before retreating into the washroom.

Cassie sighed and collapsed on his bed, the sheets thankfully fresh and made up. He'd already set up his customary posters of Muggle rock bands and motorcycles, though she was grateful he'd foregone the pin-up models like he usually had. She settled in to read more about Animagi, too engrossed now to stop, as the shower switched on in the next room.

She'd only gotten through a few pages before the shower stopped and the door opened, filling the room with steam. She closed the book to protect the pages from the sudden humidity and choked when Sirius strolled into the dorm, wearing nothing but a towel that hung dangerously low on his hips.

"Really?" she demanded when her face went up in flames. "You couldn't have put clothes on first?"

He whistled as he crossed to the foot of his bed and opened his trunk, ignoring her as he rifled through its contents.

Cassie swallowed and forced herself to breathe. It was just Sirius. She'd seen him shirtless before plenty of times. Bloody Merlin, she was being weird.

 _Relax. Focus on something else._

The scar on his chest finally seemed to be healing. The angry red wound was now pink with scar tissue, fading white, and was hardly wider than her pinky. That was a good thing, she thought, as her eyes traveled from the scar down the hard planes of his stomach before coming to rest on the lines of his hips. Yes. A very good thing…

He straightened, pulling out a wad of clothes and flipping the wet strands of his hair back. His shoulders glistened with water droplets where his hair rested, and he smirked when he caught her red face. "Like what you see, Princess?"

She resisted the urge to hurl her book at the smug expression on his face. "It's all right, Black. But I've seen better."

"Oh?" He cocked an arrogant brow. "I doubt that."

She shrugged. "It's true. Maddox Mars did a cover of _Witch Weekly_ one time when my mum was editor. She invited me to the office that day and let me sit in on it. He was bloody _gorgeous_ – Mar wouldn't speak to me for a week after she found out I met him and didn't even get his autograph—"

"All right, all right, I got it," he said, tossing his clothes on the bed. "I'm not a bloody model like your precious Maddox Mars."

She laughed. "Jealous much?"

"Nah." Before she could react, he'd vaulted onto the bed and perched above her, his hands on either side of her head. Water dripped from the ends of his hair and landed on her face, but she found she didn't care that much when she met his eyes. He nipped at her lower lip and she gasped. "I'm not jealous. Maddox Mars can hump a hippogriff, for all I care. I'm the one with the beautiful girlfriend."

She blushed. "Settle down there, Prince Charming."

"It's true." He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheekbone. "I haven't told you that yet, have I?"

"Told me what?"

"That you're beautiful." He drew away when she stilled and met her eyes. "Because you are."

She mustered a nervous giggle. "Uh, thanks?"

"I'm serious." He grinned at his signature pun as he ran his fingers along a strand of her hair. "I dunno how I never noticed it before we were friends. But you have these eyes – all dark and intense and mysterious—" he traced a finger along her browbone "—and an insanely addictive smile—" he brushed his lips over hers "—and your bum is _huge_ —"

She smacked his bicep and he barked out a laugh.

"And to think you were doing so well," she said, though she was smiling, too – blushing like a fool, but smiling.

"Just stating truth." He leaned down and kissed her.

She gave in to him, forgetting about her book entirely as she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. She bit down on his lip lightly and he shifted above her, pressing closer, but she froze when she felt what was on her thigh.

"I can stop," he murmured, his voice husky against her neck as he pressed a soft kiss to her skin.

He began to pull away, but she gripped his shoulders. "No. Don't."

He met her gaze. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'm sure."

She reached down and grasped him.

He inhaled sharply, but he kept his eyes locked on her as she began moving her hand slowly, rhythmically – up and down, twisting and tugging gently every so often, determining what he responded to and what he didn't.

Heat flooded her as he buried his face in her shoulder and moaned softly. She was nervous, but excited – she'd never done something like this before, something so intimate with another person. She'd tried on herself several times after Marlene had educated them on the finer points, but performing the act on Sirius was almost more exhilarating, knowing that she was the cause for his ragged breath against her neck and his fingers fisted in her hair.

She adjusted her grip when her wrist protested and Sirius bucked against her involuntarily, the muscles in his arms quivering on either side of her head. Encouraged, she moved faster, her core turning molten at the feel and size of him. He groaned, bringing his mouth to hers again.

Her other hand cupped the back of his neck as his tongue swept in, and he groaned again when she sucked on it, continuing her other ministrations at the same time. He shuddered against her and pulled his head away.

"Are you about to—?" She didn't finish the question, for he was already nodding.

"Yeah," he ground out. "You don't have to—"

She cut him off. "I want to."

All he could do was nod, for in the next moment he'd buried his head in her shoulder again as release coursed through him and her hand. She only stopped moving once he'd finished, and they lay for a second, both breathing quite heavily – he from his climax, and she from the sheer exhilaration of it.

He sat up and whipped the towel off, wrapping it around her hand where it still held him. He was still hard while he cleaned himself and her hand, and she stared, marveling, until he was done.

"That was…" he trailed off, slicking back his hair with a grin.

She let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah."

He gestured to her. "Do you want me to…?"

"No, I'm good." She picked up her book again and gave him a cheeky smile. "I have work to do."

"You're so weird."

"So I've been told."

He kissed her once more before he climbed off the bed and walked to the washroom, the towel in his hand.

She whistled after him. "Nice arse, Black!"

He only flipped her off before slamming the door, leaving her alone to laugh and get back to reading.

* * *

When Cassie arrived at Potions Monday morning, she found a scroll tied with a black silk ribbon sitting atop her desk. She looked around the dungeon classroom and saw only a few other seats with the mysterious scroll, and it was with a sense of deep foreboding that she opened the scroll and confirmed her suspicions – a dreaded party invitation from Professor Slughorn.

"Let me guess," Alice said as she slid into the seat next to Cassie. "Your wondrous presence is expected for the Slug Club?"

Cassie grunted and tossed the invitation to Alice so she could see. "A Halloween masquerade." She scoffed. "We're only halfway through September. Doesn't this seem a little premature?"

"Well, it says here: _Please take your costume choices into extreme consideration and use your time accordingly to plan._ " She made a noise of disgust. "What a barmy man. But he must have something big in mind if he's sending out the invitations this early."

Cassie shoved the scroll into her bag unceremoniously. "I don't care what's on his mind. I'm not going."

"Can't blame you." Alice shrugged. "There's bound to be all kinds of people there that'd want a glimpse of the Great Cassie Alderfair."

"Shh!" she hissed as Professor Slughorn waddled into the room. "Keep it down, would you? I don't want him to think I'm enjoying the attention."

Alice chuckled under her breath. "He's probably wetting himself over the fact you're his student. You might be the most famous one he's had. Probably making room in his trophy case just for you…"

"I really hate you sometimes," Cassie grumbled as the bell rang.

Alice just shrugged and shot her an infuriating smirk.

"Good morning!" Professor Slughorn greeted. He looked around the classroom and put his pudgy hands into the pockets of his straining waistcoat. "I trust all of you had a productive weekend, and that a select few of you received your surprises this morning?" He winked at several of the students in his "Slug Club" and bestowed an indulgent smile upon Cassie. She shrank lower in her seat. "Today we'll begin working on our Draught of Living Death. Here are the instructions—" he flicked his wand and the blackboard filled with cursive handwriting "—and all your ingredients can be found in the storeroom. If you have any questions or need further instructions, the potion can be found on page fifty-two of your books. Off you trot!"

"I'll get the ingredients," Cassie said, hastily standing as Professor Slughorn waddled in her direction.

Alice nodded and began heating the cauldron as Cassie fled to the storeroom, not keen on listening to Professor Slughorn's booming flattery so early in the morning – if ever.

The storeroom was filled with students when she pushed her way inside. Since N.E.W.T. Potions was incredibly difficult to get into, only a handful of students from every House were selected and all placed into a single class together. Marlene and Peter hadn't scored high enough on their O.W.L.s to move up with the rest, which just left Lily, Alice, herself, James, Sirius, and Remus. She found the latter and her boyfriend inside, chuckling over something as they collected their own ingredients.

"What's so funny?" she asked as she joined them.

Remus smirked. "We were discussing costume ideas for Slughorn's Halloween party."

"You were invited?" While Sirius had been a coveted prize for Slughorn all these years, she couldn't recall Remus ever receiving an invite, despite his high marks and achievements.

Remus's smile grew as Sirius chuckled. "I was. Sirius wasn't."

"Guess ol' Sluggy doesn't want a disowned Black tainting his little club," Sirius said, flipping his hair arrogantly and smirking.

"Well, that's too bad for him when I show up with you as my date anyway," she said with a grin.

Remus laughed. "Oh, I think I might go now just to see the look on his face."

"He'll die choking on a glazed pineapple, I'm calling it now," Sirius said.

"Wait," Cassie said, "if it's supposed to be a masquerade, how will he know who's who?"

"I'll just Spellotape a sign to my forehead that says I AM THE BLOOD TRAITOR SIRIUS BLACK!"

They all laughed until Remus punched Sirius's shoulder. "C'mon; Lily and James are waiting for us. Let's get these to them."

Sirius sniffed the air. "I don't smell any explosive residue. They must still be alive. Let's go."

Cassie waved as they left the storeroom and went about finding her own ingredients. Most of the students had cleared out during her conversation with them, leaving her alone as she searched. She'd just grabbed the powdered asphodel root when the storeroom door clicked shut, blocking out the classroom beyond and leaving her in the dim cupboard light.

"Not the time," she said to the body that had slipped in behind her, not turning around. She figured it was Sirius, trying to sneak a kiss as he was fond of doing, but she fumbled all her ingredients when Severus Snape stepped into her line of vision, looking like an overgrown bat with his too-large robes and black eyes.

"We need to talk," he said. His eyes were darting everywhere, only settling on her for a second before flicking away again. His face twitched – whether from nerves or disgust that he was speaking to her, she couldn't tell.

It took her a moment to find her voice again. "I have nothing to say to you, Snape."

"It's about Lily." His gaze found hers again and stayed there – beseeching. "I need you to give her a message from me."

"I'm not a bloody owl," she snapped. "And if you couldn't tell, she wants nothing to do with you anymore. Leave her alone."

Snape's pale face rippled with pain. "I just need her to know that I'm sorry. I never meant to—"

"Never meant to what? Insult her? Degrade her in front of the whole school?" Snape seemed to deflate at her words. "And what on _Earth_ makes you think I'd do your bidding after what you did to James last term? You're lucky Lily cared enough not to have you expelled or carted off to Azkaban for using such a spell on him."

"I just need to explain—"

"No," she said coldly. "I don't want your excuses, and Lily doesn't, either. Just drop it, Snape. You have your little snakes as friends. Do they even know you're talking to me? Do they know that you're trying to mend your friendship with a Muggle-born? I wonder how they'd feel about that if they found out?"

Snape looked so desperate she was surprised he hadn't fallen to his knees yet. "You don't understand. Lily, she – she's _everything_ to me. I would _never_ hurt her—"

"But you did." Snape flinched back as if she'd struck him. "And no amount of apologies can ever change that. The only way you can _maybe_ even be forgiven is changed behavior – but we both know you're too much of a coward to stand up to your friends."

"Please." He stared at the floor, his hands clenching and unclenching. "You know nothing, Alderfair. Please, just tell her I want to talk to her—"

"No. I'm done." Cassie shoved past him, making for the door. "You made your choice; she made hers. Now move on."

"How dare you?" he hissed, whirling on her. Cassie stopped and turned to face him. He glared at her, his sallow face turning red.

She shifted the ingredients in her arms, freeing her hand to plunge into her robes if she needed to draw her wand. "How dare I what?"

"How dare you be such a hypocrite!" Cassie blinked at him, startled. "Claiming that _I'm_ a coward for not standing up to my friends, when so are you!"

"Excuse me?"

He curled his lip at her. "I know what you did with Avery and Regulus. You led them on – fooled them into thinking you were willing to work with them. But instead you used them to your own advantage to get the answers you were looking for. And when they gave you all they could, you dropped them like they were nothing. You crawled right back to your cubs without a care in the world. Do you know the danger you put them in? They betrayed Carlisle for you and your lunatic of a brother. Reg was smart – he had an alibi. But Avery? Carlisle got to him. She went to the Dark Lord himself. And now Ed gets his whole family taken hostage because of what _you_ did to him. By listening to your friends when they told you he couldn't be trusted, even when _you_ know he could."

Cassie's blood had frozen in her veins. "What?"

Snape scoffed. "The Dark Lord doesn't accept failure from anyone – or betrayal. The Averys have a kill order on their heads. If Ed screws up again, or tries to undermine the Dark Lord in any way, then his family gets executed. Him, his mother, his father, his sister. Did you even know he has a sister? Evangeline. She's only seven."

It took all her will to keep a hold on the ingredients. "How do you know this?"

Snape only gave her a look of disgust. "The lions aren't the only ones who watch each other's backs."

He swept past her, purposefully knocking his shoulder against hers. A vial tumbled out of her arms and shattered on the floor. She barely heard it.

"Snape." She turned. He glanced over his shoulder; the loathing clear on his face. She struggled for words. "I'm so sorry."

He glared at her. "Tell that to everyone you've stepped on clawing your way to the top of whatever game you think you've won." He sneered. "And don't make the mistake of thinking I'm the only one who has monsters for friends."

And then he was gone.

Cassie stared at the broken glass at her feet and the red liquid that looked like blood.

What had she done?

* * *

 **Please review! I love hearing your thoughts!**

 **"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die." Wait, wrong fandom. But the scene between Cassie and Snape made me think of that for some reason. Snape - he didn't get a lot to do in the last story, but he's definitely going to come out more in this one, so I'm excited for that. Cassie...well, actions have consequences.**

 **And yeah, this story is staying T for now. They're still teenagers and I am not The CW network. Will this series stay T? Probably not. But for now, yeah. Feel free to message me with thoughts/concerns, though.**

 **Next Chapter: _The Shrieking Shack_**

 **xx**


	9. The Shrieking Shack

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **I think this is the shortest chapter I've written for this story since the early days of _Clockwork._ It's weird, but I also felt like this chapter was not only much needed, but that it didn't need to be drawn out. So here we are.**

 **Thanks for all the new favorites/follows, and thank you to everyone who reviewed last time!**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 **The Shrieking Shack**

October was fast becoming blustery and cold. Gone were the mild, sunny days that could be spent lounging by the shore of the Black Lake or playing a pick-up game of Quidditch on the grounds. Now, the sky was perpetually overcast, and the wind was sharp and tinged with an arctic chill.

Cassie decided to brave the weather anyway and make her way to the Quidditch Pitch after an early Saturday morning breakfast, bundled in her warmest sweater and jumper and carrying two thermoses of coffee.

The wind tugged at her hair, throwing it across her face as she walked the well-tread path to the pitch. In the distance, smoke rose from the chimney of Hagrid's hut near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She could even hear the trees bordering the forest groaning with the force of the gusts, their leaves hissing against each other like a great serpent. A shudder went down Cassie's spine as she recalled another great serpent that she'd encountered in that forest only a few months ago – the Animagus of Salazar Slytherin himself.

The memory propelled her feet faster, until she had reached the pitch and settled in the lower stands. The thermoses in her hands were the only things keeping her warm, and she tucked them in closer to her body, surveying the empty stands before watching the seven people on broomsticks flying above her.

The Gryffindor team practiced for a few more minutes before Wood called it a day. The players drifted down to the field and dismounted their brooms. While the other five headed for the changing rooms, two figures peeled off from the group and started for the stands, and Cassie went down to meet them.

Despite the temperature, James and Sirius were both sweating, their faces red from exertion and windburn. Down on the field, the wind wasn't so bad, but Cassie was still loath to relinquish the warm thermoses as she handed them to the two boys.

"Black for Sirius, just like his name," she said, passing a thermos to Sirius.

"And my soul," he said, raising his thermos in a toast before taking a large gulp.

Cassie held out the other to James. "For you."

He took off the lid and gave the coffee an experimental sniff. His black hair was even messier than usual, sweeping across his forehead in a wave, with odd pieces sticking up here and there.

"Did you make it right?" he asked her, suspicious.

"Two sugar cubes and a dash of milk, like always," she replied.

He took a sip and nodded in approval. She rolled her eyes.

"What's up, Cass?" Sirius said. He leaned against his broomstick and ran a hand through his perfectly tousled hair. Cassie was tempted to reach out and touch it, but she reined herself in, knowing James would make fun of her for the rest of the day if she did. "It's rare to see you come out and watch us practice, especially on a shit day like this."

"I needed to talk to the both of you. Privately." She crossed her arms and scuffed her shoe on the grass. "It's about Remus. And Snape."

The two boys were instantly on their guard.

"What happened?" James demanded. "Did Snivellus do something to you?"

"No." She shook her head. "He just said something to me last week during Potions. It's been bothering me ever since."

"What did he say?" Sirius stared at her, intent.

"That I'm not the only one who has monsters for friends?" She lifted her shoulders in a helpless gesture. "But that could mean anything, right? He could just be talking about the both of you."

"But you don't think so," James said.

She bit her lip. "Do you think he knows about Remus?"

James and Sirius shared a glance that she couldn't decipher.

"We've hid it for years," James said. "He shouldn't."

Sirius scowled. "But Snivellus has always been good about sticking his ugly nose in our business."

James frowned and turned back to her. "Have you told Remus about this?"

She shook her head. "I didn't want to worry him. You're the only ones I've told. I haven't had a chance to tell Peter yet."

"Don't worry, we'll tell him," he said. "Was that the only thing Snape said to you?"

She wanted to tell them about Avery. She _should._ But shame clamped down on her tongue and held it there. All she could do was shake her head again.

"Are you going to tell Remus?" she asked instead.

James and Sirius swapped another glance before they shook their heads.

"Nah," James said. "You're right. There's no use in worrying him. His hair's about to fall out in clumps anyway from all this homework we've been getting. But you're seeing him today, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Right about…" She checked the watch that Alice had loaned her, since she was too lazy to buy one for herself. "Now, actually." She sighed. "Wish me luck."

"Have fun with your first Animagi lesson," James said with a wicked grin. "It's bound to be a treat."

"If you don't come back with a tail, I'll be severely disappointed," Sirius said, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"See, _this_ is why I asked Remus to help me. Not you two, not Peter. I don't need you lot taking the piss out of me while I'm trying to learn." She frowned. "And I'm not anywhere near ready to start transforming yet. I'm still working on the theory."

"It'd go a lot faster with us as your teachers." Sirius waggled his eyebrows at her.

She stared back, unimpressed. "You only want to teach me because you'd get to see me naked."

"Can't blame a man for trying." Sirius shrugged. "Isn't that right, Prongs?"

James sniffed. "I can get my own girl, Padfoot. I don't need you to share."

Sirius arched a brow. "And when's the last time you got a girl? Hopelessly pining after Evans doesn't count, by the way."

He scowled. "So maybe I haven't quite got there yet this term. But trust me; when I want a bird, I'll have one."

"Whatever you say, mate." Sirius clapped him on the shoulder before turning back to Cassie. "You should probably get going. Don't want to keep Remus waiting; you know how he gets."

"True." Cassie kissed him briefly while James pretended to retch in the grass. "I'll see you at lunch."

They waved good-bye as she strolled in the opposite direction of the castle, crossing the bleak grounds toward the Whomping Willow.

Hoping she wouldn't be clobbered to death, she pulled out her wand and muttered, _"Immobulus."_

* * *

"I can't believe you wanted to meet _here,_ of all places."

Remus looked up when she emerged from the tunnel mouth of the Whomping Willow and moved to help her enter. She accepted his hand and hauled herself out of the tunnel, extinguishing the light from her wand with _"Nox"_ and stowing it away.

Remus grinned at her as she straightened in the dim light of the Shrieking Shack and brushed the dirt from her clothes. "What? It's quiet, secluded, and has everything we need to practice illegal magic."

"Technically, becoming an Animagus isn't _illegal,"_ she pointed out.

He shrugged. "True. But being an unregistered one is. And since you're actively conspiring to not be registered, then _technically_ we're still breaking the law."

She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you go work on the Wizengamot, if you're so versed in magical law? Maybe they'll give you my father's old seat. And _don't_ look at me like that," she said when his gaze turned concerned. "I'm perfectly capable of talking about my parents without being reduced to a puddle, thank you very much."

He held up his hands in defense. "All right, whatever you say. Let's just get to it, then."

She gave him a curt nod and moved to sit in one of the chairs at the dining table that he'd vacated when she entered. He returned to his own seat and brought out the stack of books she'd checked out of the library, placing them on the table between them.

"You cleaned," she said, surprised. She ran a finger over the table's surface. It came up clean. The last time she'd been in here, dust and grime had settled over everything in a fine coat. Even the old chandelier above them was devoid of any cobwebs, the candles burning brightly and bathing them in heat.

Despite the lack of dust and dirt, the cleanliness did nothing to hide the shabbiness of the shack. In fact, it made it look even more derelict. The wallpaper was yellowed and peeled, stained from water and weather, and the wooden floors were chipped and cracked. If she looked hard enough, she could see the gouges in the floor and the teeth-marks on the doorframes, left there by sharp claws and fangs, and she knew that if she ventured further, she'd find shattered windows and broken furniture. Evidence of what happened to the mild-mannered, good-natured boy across from her every full moon.

He gave her a half-smile. "I tried to make it more inviting. Less…haunted."

"Well, thank you. I appreciate the effort." She nodded to the stack of books. "So, what's our first lesson, Professor Lupin?"

He rolled his eyes at her, though the attempt was half-hearted. Despite appearances, he looked secretly pleased. "Our first lesson, Miss Princess, is getting in touch with your emotions."

She made a face at him, both at being referred to as 'Miss Princess' and the prospect of looking inward at herself. "Are you sure this is Animagi 101, or is this secretly an intervention?"

He chuckled. "Definitely not an intervention, Cass. But I'm being serious. An Animagus is an outward reflection of you – your personality, your traits, your values. At its core, it represents your spirit."

She frowned. "I thought that was a Patronus?"

"A Patronus and an Animagus are certainly similar in aspects. But while a Patronus can change forms depending on the caster – say, a life-altering event happened, in which case, a Patronus can change from a cat to a dog, based on the internal circumstances of the caster and their emotional state – an Animagus form does not change, ever."

"So…an Animagus is based on your core values and such, while a Patronus is like, your _core_ -core?"

"If you want to look at it that way, then yes." He shrugged. "Like, let's say you're an apple. Your outside – your physical body – would be the edible part of the apple."

"Yum," she interjected. He ignored her.

"When you get past that, you get to the core. And let's say that the membrane surrounding the apple seeds is your core – your Animagus, for this example. And past _that,_ you get to the seeds, or the innermost core – or, _core_ -core, as you put it. And that's your Patronus."

She nodded slowly. "That makes a lot of sense, actually. But now I really want an apple."

He shot a look that was half-exasperated, half-amused at her. "Later. But for now, let's focus on the task at hand. If you had to guess, what would you say your core traits are? The heart of what makes you, you."

"Er…" She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable now that she was on the spot. "I guess I'm…funny? I make pretty good jokes. And, um, nice…?"

She cringed when he just stared at her, contemplating. "I dunno. This is weird. How am I supposed to know?"

"Dig deeper," he said. "I can think of a few already."

"You can? Like what?"

"Like that you're brave." He nodded to her, and her face flushed. "You spent all last year trying to help your brother, even when it got dangerous for you to do so. And not to mention that you're compassionate. You want to help others. And you're loyal—"

"I'm not," she said. She heard Snape's sneering voice echoing in her head then: _"Tell that to everyone you've stepped on climbing your way to the top of whatever game you think you've won."_ She shook her head quickly. "I'm not. I'm not any of those things. I'm selfish, and I get people hurt, and I—"

She pursed her lips, fighting back the tears building in her eyes. Remus leaned forward, concerned.

"Cassie?" She couldn't force herself to meet his gaze as anger and disgust roiled inside her. She'd purposefully been avoiding what Snape had told her about Avery, about his family. How she'd put them all in danger, without even knowing so. She couldn't face it. Couldn't bear to. "Cass, hey. Talk to me. What's going on?"

"Avery," she choked out. "I did something terrible, Remus – I—"

Her chest was starting to heave. A black wave rose up to greet her, an old friend that she'd spent many days with over the summer, thinking about her parents, her brother, how she'd failed them all. How she was now responsible for four more lives that could be snuffed out at any moment. Because of her. Because of what _she_ did.

"They're going to die because of me," she said. The admission brought the wave bearing down on her, ready to suck her back under, to drown her in its darkness again. "Avery – his parents – Godric, his little _sister_ – he's going to kill them all, and it's all my fault, everything is my fault—"

She would've fallen out of her chair had Remus not suddenly been by her side, holding her up. Her whole body shook with sobs, the weight of her guilt finally crushing her. Remus knelt before her, and she slipped out of the chair, collapsing against him and sobbing into his chest. She barely felt his comforting hand on her back, the steady grip on the back of her head that held her to him as she let everything out, all her guilt, all her shame – how she couldn't save Will, how she couldn't save her parents, and how she couldn't save the Averys—

"Why did I let it happen?" she sobbed. "Why couldn't I save them?"

"You did everything you could," he said, his voice muffled by her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Cassie. It's _not."_

"I should've let him die." She clutched his neck tightly. "Will. I never should've tried to help him – to _save_ him—"

"But you did." He pulled back from her and grabbed her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. They were bright with unshed tears, and she wondered why he was crying, too. "You did it because you loved him, Cassie. Because that's who you are. You can always find the good in someone, no matter if they're a monster. You just – _love,_ so fiercely."

"I used him, Remus," she whispered. "I used Avery for my own means, and tossed him aside like it was nothing. It was so _easy_ for me to do. Not once did I stop and think about the repercussions. I couldn't. Not when I was telling myself it was for the right reasons." She shuddered. "Does that make me a monster?"

"Absolutely not," he said immediately. "You're not a monster, Cassie. Monsters are people like You-Know-Who and everyone who follows him. Monsters are people who kill innocents and hold entire families hostage just because they can – because they _want_ to. And you are not one of them. Not now. Not ever."

She couldn't speak. She just ducked her head and cried for everything she'd been keeping locked away for so very long. She cried for the black tombs where her mother and father now rested, for the brother that she used to have, for the aunt that'd been forced to turn away from her old life and who lost her sister because of it. She cried for her cousins, and the other young children that had to be born in such a dark time, for all the innocents who had died already in a war that should never exist. She cried until she couldn't anymore, until the candles had burnt into a dull orange glow, like embers at the bottom of a hearth.

And then they sat. For so long, until it might've been midnight. She didn't know. But Remus stayed with her on the floor of that shack, their backs against the ruined wall, a set of deep claw marks only inches away from their feet, not speaking. Not until Remus broke the silence.

"This was from one of the first times." He scraped his shoe over the gouges in the floor. The furrows went so deep that she could see the foundations of the stone beneath. He drew his knees to his chest and rested his elbows on them, staring at the marks. "I was still eleven. Still new. Still trying to fit in, as much as possible." A faint smirk crossed his features. "You should've seen how the lads treated me back then. James tried so hard to be my friend that it was actually kind of annoying. Peter followed his lead, of course. And Sirius… Well, he was just Sirius. I'm sure you understand."

Cassie didn't have the strength to chuckle, but her lips twitched. She could still remember Sirius's icy demeanor and scathing remarks to her back before they'd become friends. It honestly amazed her that they'd even struck up a friendship, much less admitted they had feelings for each other.

"My entire life, I'd been so alone." His eyes stayed on the floor, but she knew he was elsewhere within that moment. Remembering. "I had my parents, obviously, but never any friends. We always moved before I could make any, before anyone caught on to what I was. It was terrible. A miserable existence.

"I never thought I would have friends. Much less the amazing ones I have now. Friends that I would die for. Friends like you."

He looked up then, and met her eyes. She looked back this time; unafraid, unflinching. Letting him see every part of her. Letting him be a friend.

"You're not a monster, Cassie," he said quietly.

"And you're not either, Remus," she whispered. "There are other monsters in the world we should be afraid of."

He held out a hand, a ghost of a grin on his face. "No monsters allowed."

She put her hand in his, their fingers twining together. "No monsters allowed," she agreed.

* * *

 **Please review! I love hearing your thoughts!**

 **Not to toot my own horn, but Cassie and Remus's friendship is #goals. I just love them so much. And we're finally getting into the nitty-gritty of Cassie's emotions! Hooray character exploration and development! (Take notes, David Benioff & D.B. Weiss.) (And no, I'm not ever going to be over the ending to _Game of Thrones._ Sorry not sorry.)**

 **Next Chapter: _The Mark_ (AKA, "Where Shit Gets Real (Again)") **

**xx**


	10. The Mark

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Hello! There's some heaping doses of hot and heavy in here, fair warning - once again, my characters did what they wanted, so here we are.**

 **Thank you for all the new favorites/follows, and thanks to my reviewers from last time!**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

 **The Mark**

"Oh, _shit._ Sirius, stop! We're late!"

Sirius sat up, disgruntled, as Cassie swung her legs off his bed and jumped to the floor, hastily grabbing up her clothes from where they'd been unceremoniously tossed at the foot of his trunk. He flopped back on his pillows with a sigh and watched her pull on her pants, making no move himself to get up and dress.

"We're hardly late, Cass," he said after checking the clock on his bedside table. She finished hooking her bra and turned around to glare at him, arching one of her eyebrows. He gave her a deadpan look. "We said we'd meet the others at noon; it's only 11:45."

"And it takes fifteen minutes to walk to Hogsmeade," she retorted, tugging on her jumper. "Twenty, at the pace you walk."

He sighed again, frowning at her clothes as she continued to dress. He already missed the sight and feel of her bare skin against his own. He especially missed the way she'd been moaning his name and gripping his hair only a few moments ago when he'd shown her just what his mouth could do.

"I wasn't finished with you," he said, keeping his voice low and husky—the one he loved to use on her to see her blush. Sure enough, her cheeks colored, though she didn't turn to look at him, too busy wrapping her scarf around her neck. He smirked at her back. "Come back to bed, love."

She scoffed. "I've been in your bed all week," she said. "I'm sure it'll still be there when we get back."

He hugged one of the pillows to his chest, still not moving. "Forget Hogsmeade. It's too bloody cold."

She raked her fingers through her hair, smoothing it back into place using the handheld mirror on top of James's bedside table. "We said we'd meet the others for butterbeers at noon," she said. "I'm not flaking on them." She turned and raised her brows. "Do you really want to miss out on the chance to see James embarrass himself in front of Lily?"

"You mean more than he already does?" He pretended to deliberate. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go."

She smiled, triumphant, as he threw the pillow to the side and dressed. He didn't miss the glint in her eye as she watched him, pretending to check her face in the mirror. For show, he flexed his muscles and took as long as possible to put on his shirt, grinning to himself when he heard her hastily put down the mirror. When his head emerged from the neck of his jumper, he found her standing by the door, tapping her foot impatiently.

"All right, Princess, I'm coming," he said, grabbing his coat and scarf from his trunk before following her down the stairs.

The common room was full of younger students who watched them enviously as they walked to the portrait hole, off to enjoy the day in Hogsmeade while they were stuck in the castle. Sirius didn't feel bad for them; after all, he'd had to suffer the same thing at their age. It would build their character.

On reflex, he reached out and grabbed Cassie's hand, twining his fingers with hers. She glanced back to him and smiled, squeezing his hand. He squeezed back, reveling in the sensation. He'd held hands with plenty of girls before, but it had always been a performative thing; he'd done it because it had been expected of him. It was different with Cassie—he did it because he _wanted_ to. It was strange, but not entirely unwelcome; he just always wanted to touch her, to be near her. He'd never had that with anyone before. Not until her.

They climbed through the portrait hole and walked through the corridors together, holding hands in content silence. He glanced sidelong at her and watched her—the way her eyes roved, sharp and observant; the neutral look on her face that always made her Pure-blood traits stand out, no matter how much she denied it; the way her hair swung when she moved, how her body seemed so lithe and graceful.

Once again, he was struck by it all. He still wondered how he'd never noticed her all these years—how he'd been adamant about hating her because her brother was a Death Eater. The reminder of it always made him feel guilty. He thought about so many others he'd passed judgment on without getting to know them. How he'd labeled his own brother and pushed him aside without trying to understand. And how because of that, he probably never would.

Cassie squeezed his hand again. He focused back in, not realizing that he'd zoned out with his gaze still on her. She smirked at him.

"Is there something on my face?" she asked.

He shook his head, grinning. "Nah," he said. "I'm just admiring you."

She snorted and glanced away, embarrassed. "Thanks, weirdo."

He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. "Anytime," he purred.

She shook her head, instead turning her attention to his watch. "Ugh, we're gonna be _so_ late," she groaned. "Lily's going to give me hell for leaving her to fend with James alone."

"Marlene and Alice will be with her," he pointed out. "And Remus and Peter are with James. What are you worried about?"

"I guess you're right." She frowned. "It's just been _weird_ lately, y'know? This whole unspoken tension between James and Lily." She shook her head. "I don't think they ever talked about what happened last term in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom—with Snape and the spell he used on James. And Lily begging Snape to save him…"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, there's a lot to unpack there." He raised a brow at her. "You think Lily has something for our dear Prongs?"

"I dunno. She won't talk about it. That's the thing about Lily—she fixes everyone else's problems, but refuses to look at her own."

"Sounds like someone else I know," he said, poking her side.

She scowled. "I acknowledge my problems, thank you very much."

"Do I need to remind you that it took you months to admit you had feelings for me?"

She huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "That doesn't count."

"What?" he laughed.

"I had much bigger things to worry about back then," she said. "Now, can we please hurry? We have five minutes 'til noon."

"Such a worry-wart," he joked, kissing the top of her head. "But if you're in that much of a rush, Princess, I happen to know of a secret passageway into Hogsmeade."

"Of course you do." She sighed. "See? I'm not even surprised anymore. You lot have rubbed off on me far too much."

"Literally, too."

She threw her head back in exasperation. "Keep it up and I'm going to make you put Knuts in the Innuendo Jar."

"You have an Innuendo Jar?"

"Between you, James, and Peter, I'm starting to think I need one."

"You're going to leave Moony out of this?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Remus isn't gross like the rest of you are."

"And _that_ is where you're wrong, Princess. Remus puts up a good front, but he's worse than all of us combined. Trust me."

She gave him a dubious look. "I'll believe it when I see it." She swiveled her head side-to-side when they stopped in the middle of the third-floor corridor. "So, where's this secret passageway?"

"Right here." He pointed to the statue of the one-eyed, humpbacked witch they'd halted in front of.

"Really?" She peered at the witch, skeptical. "I don't see anything."

"Watch and learn, love." Sirius extracted his wand and approached the statue. He tapped the tip against the witch's stone hump and said, _"Dissendium."_

The hump scraped open, revealing a stone slide and tunnel beyond. Cassie blinked, once, which he guessed was as much surprise as she'd show. He jerked his chin to the tunnel. "Shall we?"

She gestured to him. "Ladies first."

"Ouch, Princess. You always know how to put a man down, don't you?" he said as he climbed into the slide. He stowed his wand away and looked back to her, pouting.

She rolled her eyes, grinning. "Get going, Black. We have butterbeers to drink."

"Right you are." He winked. "See you on the other side."

And he let go of the sides, sliding down into darkness.

* * *

Though the tunnel had been drafty and dreadfully cold, they made it to Hogsmeade in record time, pulling themselves out of the tunnel and emerging into the cellars of Honeydukes five minutes past noon.

After checking to make sure no one was down there to see them, Sirius led her up the stairs and into the crowded bustle of the sweets shop, where they promptly blended with the chattering Hogwarts students packing the floor. No one seemed to notice that they had materialized into their midst randomly, which Cassie was exceedingly thankful for.

"C'mon," Sirius said, pushing his way to the front door. "They should already be there."

Cassie followed him into the chilly autumn day, her scarf and hair whipping behind her in the sudden blast of wind. Huddling deeper into her coat, she and Sirius trekked the High Street until they reached the warmth and babble of The Three Broomsticks.

They squeezed inside the jammed pub and weaved through the teeming mass of patrons, searching for a glimpse of any of their friends. She wasn't having any luck until Sirius tugged on her sleeve and pointed to a booth in the back. "There they are."

Indeed, Cassie saw their friends crammed into the booth, the girls on one side and the boys on the other. Noting that everyone seemed unharmed and still breathing, she and Sirius made their way over to them, sliding in on opposite sides of the table.

"Finally," Marlene said, exasperated. "We were beginning to think you'd forgotten about us." She glanced pointedly to Cassie. "Especially since you're the one who suggested this."

Cassie shrugged, pulling off her scarf and mittens. "It's high time we all start getting along. Right, Lily?"

Lily scowled at having been singled out. "Right," she said grudgingly.

James gave her a taunting smile, opening his mouth, but when he caught Cassie's warning glance, he closed it again and sat back.

 _You're no fun,_ he mouthed to her.

 _Get over it,_ she mouthed back.

Remus shook his head, having watched their silent exchange. "You're both children."

In response, they both stuck their tongues out at him. He just heaved a long-suffering sigh.

"Well, are we ready to order?" Alice asked. "I can go to the bar before Rosmerta gets swamped by them."

She nodded to a large group of Hogwarts students that had just walked in. To Cassie's annoyance, they were Slytherins, and her irritation only grew when she noticed Snape, Avery, and Regulus Black amongst them.

"I'll go with," Cassie said when she stood to allow Alice out of the booth. "You'll need help carrying things."

She followed Alice to the bar, keeping an eye on the Slytherins as they went. Fortunately, they found a vacant table on the opposite side of the pub, and she breathed a small sigh of relief.

As Alice ordered drinks for their group, Cassie stood off to the side, letting her gaze wander about the room. It was getting increasingly hot and stuffy in the jam-packed space, and she shed her coat, sweeping her hair over one shoulder to cool off the back of her neck.

"Cassie Alderfair?"

Cassie turned and spotted a man seated at the bar, his beady eyes narrowed at her as he tried to place her face. His unruly hair jutted from beneath the brim of his hat, the dull brown color matching that of his great, bushy eyebrows and wiry beard. The way he was looking at her unnerved her—like he knew the answer, but just wanted to hear her say it.

"No, sorry," she said. She turned back to Alice, about to leave, but the wizard's hand shot out and gripped her upper arm tightly, dragging her closer.

"Don't lie to me, girl," he snarled in her face. The scent of firewhiskey hit her nostrils, and she twisted her arm, but he held fast to her. His flat brown eyes bored into her accusingly. "I know who you are. Your brother was the one who killed mine in a Death Eater raid last year."

"Let me go," she said. She struggled against his grip, but it was futile; his hand was clamped around her arm like a bear trap. She glanced to the bar, hoping to catch Alice's gaze, but the wizard yanked her around again.

"Look at me," he growled. "I lost everything because of your murderous brother. _Everything."_

"I'm sorry," she said, "but that wasn't me. I had nothing to do with your brother's death."

He sneered at her, revealing brown, crooked teeth.

"Such a proud little Pure-blood," he jeered. "All of you are the same—looking down at us _vermin_ because our blood isn't as pure as yours." He drew her in even closer, so she could see her terrified reflection in his eyes. "I wonder how _pure_ your blood would be if I slit your pretty throat. It's only fair, isn't it? An eye for an eye. _His_ sister for my brother."

"Please," she said. "I'm not like him, I swear. Killing me won't bring your brother back."

" _Bitch,"_ he hissed, his grip tightening until she gasped in pain. "I don't want my brother back. I want _you_ and every sorry excuse for a Pure-blood dead and gone. You, your brother, and every other wizard who thinks they're so high and mighty."

"Please," she tried again. "Please, let go—"

He squeezed harder until she cried out. He leered at her.

"Let's go for a walk," he said, getting up from his seat and pushing her before him. "Just you and me—"

"I would suggest taking your hands off her."

Cassie and the wizard both looked to see Avery standing in front of them with Regulus at his side, blocking their exit. Their expressions were blank and cool, but Cassie recoiled at the wrath in their eyes as they bored into the wizard holding her.

The wizard scoffed. "Out of my way, boys. This doesn't concern you."

"When you're threatening one of our own, I believe it does," said Avery coldly. "Now, remove your hands from her."

"Or what?" the wizard retorted. "You'll shoot sparks at me?"

Regulus smiled mirthlessly. "Something like that."

The wizard snorted and pushed Cassie to get her moving again. She twisted her arm again, but his other hand grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and forced her along, right past Avery and Regulus. She opened her mouth to scream, but before any sound came out, two spells were cast in tandem behind her.

" _Stupefy!"_

" _Incarcerous!"_

Screams went up from the patrons at the spells. Cassie fell forward from the force of them but scrambled back to her feet, drawing her wand and whirling around. The wizard was unconscious on the floor, bound from the neck down in thick ropes. She looked up and saw Avery and Regulus with their wands still pointed at her attacker, their faces set in twin expressions of cold satisfaction.

"Cassie!"

Lily and the others shoved their way through the shocked and murmuring crowd until they reached her side. Lily threw her arms around Cassie's neck before checking her quickly for damage.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I'm fine, Lils," she said, touching her arm gently. "Stop fretting."

After making sure she was unharmed, Sirius rounded on Avery and his brother.

"What did you do to her?" he said, his tone flat and angry.

"Stop it, Sirius," she said, pushing her way between him and the two boys. "They helped me." She nodded to the prone wizard on the floor. "He was trying to hurt me. They stopped him."

Remus came to stand protectively by her side. "Why was he trying to hurt you?"

She shook her head, fighting the building tears in her eyes. It had all happened so fast.

"Will," she said softly. "There was a Death Eater raid last year—he said Will killed his brother in it…"

She shuddered, and Sirius put his arm around her.

"Let's get you out of here," he said. He turned to the others. "C'mon; we're leaving."

No one argued with him, instead making their way to the doors. The pub remained eerily silent, watching them leave, though the chatter was starting up again, the buzz of excitement and speculation sweeping through the crowd. Sirius urged Cassie toward the doors, but she shook her head, stepping out from beneath his arm to face Avery and Regulus.

"Thank you," she said, meeting their eyes—and she meant it. Not only had they defended her, but she knew the blow it would deal to their reputations, if the murderous looks they were receiving from their Housemates were anything to go by.

Regulus merely shrugged before going back to the table full of Slytherins, but Avery lingered, his pale eyes flitting between Sirius and her. She held his gaze, trying to convey what she couldn't say aloud: _I'm sorry._

He seemed to understand, for he nodded once, slowly.

Another heartbeat passed before she turned back to Sirius, allowing him to lead her out of the pub and reflecting on the message written in Avery's eyes: _Help me save them._

* * *

"No."

James sighed dramatically, pretending to bang his head on the table. "Cassie, please don't make me do this again. I really don't want to repeat last year."

She ignored him, keeping her eyes on the fourth Animagi book she'd checked out of the library that week.

" _Caaaaassssss…"_ he whined. When she didn't respond, he kicked her shin under the table. "Cassie!"

"Ow, you prat!" She rubbed the smarting spot on her shin and glared at him. "The bloody hell are you mutilating me for?"

"Don't ignore me," he retorted. "You know how much I hate it."

"Why do you think I do it?"

"SHH!" the cluster of Ravenclaws studying at the table next to them hissed.

Cassie and James made faces back at them, though technically, they were in the wrong for being loud in the library.

Cassie dropped her voice when she spoke to James. "I told you already: no joint birthday party. I don't even _want_ a party this year."

"But you're turning seventeen!" he insisted. "You're going to be legal! Why wouldn't you want to celebrate such a historic event?"

"Because it's not that special," she said, closing her book with a sigh. "It's just another year, and just another day to mark off my calendar. Last year was a fluke; I let you rope me into that joint party with Sirius despite my better judgment. It's not going to be like that this year."

He pouted. "So, no party? You're telling me you don't want to celebrate your birthday _at all?"_

"That's exactly what I'm telling you." When he pouted further, she rolled her eyes. "Just throw a big party for Sirius in the common room. You know how he loves the attention. _And_ you'll get your party."

He sniffed. "You are _so_ not fun."

"Correct."

"A wet blanket," he continued. "Actually, you're not even that—you're a wet microfiber on the wet blanket."

She placed her book into her bag, nodding along. "Quite right. You done?"

"Not even remotely," he said, getting up and following her out of the library. "You're only a single wet atom that makes up only a trillionth of the wet microfiber on the wet blanket."

"Why is the blanket wet again?"

"Because I cried into it after you crushed my dreams of having another epic joint birthday party."

"Godric, you're insufferable," she said, shaking her head. "Why are you so obsessed with this joint birthday party thing?"

"I like parties, and I like fun," he said as if it should be obvious. He slowed his steps, his face turning more serious, and Cassie copied him, puzzled. He looked at her solemnly. "And I just want you to have a good time, Cass. These last few months have been shitty. I dunno—I just want you to feel happy again, even if it's only for a night."

Cassie frowned, her heart swelling in gratitude for James Potter.

"I am happy, James," she said earnestly. "Seriously. I have the greatest friends in the world beside me—you included, unfortunately." He gave her a wry smile that she returned before sobering again. "Yes, I miss my parents. Yes, I wish my brother wasn't a deranged psychopath. Yes, I wish that none of this had ever happened to me, and that I was still normal. Still the Invisible Girl." She smiled softly. "But I can't go back. I can't change things. And if it all led me to you and the others in the end…then maybe it can't be all that bad."

"Sheesh, Princess, are you trying to make me cry?" he joked.

She smirked. "Only a little." She sighed. "But you got what you wanted."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And what's that?"

"You bloody joint birthday party," she said in a pained voice.

His face split into a wide grin. _"Excellent."_

"Just _please_ don't go overboard," she begged.

"No promises," he said mischievously. "I was thinking we could have it on the day before your birthday—the 29th. And since Slughorn's Halloween party is the 31st, then we can just be continuously pissed all weekend and not have to worry about hangovers." He bowed like he'd just solved the problem for world hunger. "I know, I know. I'm a genius. No need to remind me."

She rolled her eyes. "I hate you."

He just winked at her. "Trust me, I know you do."

* * *

James went overboard.

Cassie knew it had been a futile request, but she hadn't realized just _how_ futile until she walked into the Gryffindor Common Room on the evening of the 29th to find her and Sirius's faces plastered across all the walls, smiling and winking down at the enormous crowd waiting at the stairs to greet both her and Sirius when they came down from their dormitories. It seemed like James had invited the entire student body—it was a wonder they could all fit in the same room together. The crowd whistled and cheered when they spotted her, but they positively roared when Sirius entered, which was fine by her—the less attention, the better.

After wading through the crowd of well-wishers and the chorus of _happy birthdays,_ she arrived at the refreshments table out of breath and slightly askew, grimacing when Peter—who was playing bartender for the night—chuckled at her.

"All right, Cass?" he said, shoving a bottle of butterbeer into her hand.

Music started playing from the wireless, the bass pounding throughout the room and starting a dance floor in the middle. Peter passed out several shots of firewhiskey and bottles of butterbeers to some of the partygoers (Cassie now understanding how the Marauders were able to sneak such vast quantities of contraband into the castle now that she knew about the tunnel into Hogsmeade). She sipped on her own drink, lingering by the table. She'd already lost Lily, Alice, and Marlene to the crowd, and she couldn't see Sirius, James, or Remus anywhere.

Peter chuckled again at the look of clear discomfort on her face. "I thought you liked parties?"

"I do," she said. "Just not when they're—well—for _me."_

"Ah." Peter nodded. "That makes sense. I feel the same way sometimes."

She glanced over at him. "You do?"

He shrugged, pouring out another shot. "It comes with the territory of being friends with blokes like Sirius and James." He frowned. "They're the ones who get all the attention; not me. So it's always odd whenever that attention shifts to me."

Cassie reached over on impulse and put her hand atop his own. He looked up, startled, but she smiled slightly.

"You're a good mate, Peter," she said. "We all care for you very much. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."

He blushed, his round face quite resembling that of a tomato. "Thanks, Cass."

She patted his hand again. "Anytime." She turned back to the party with a sigh. "I guess I should get out there and mingle, eh? It's my party, after all. Or, half of it is."

Peter chuckled, sending her off with a wave as she braced herself to find someone who she was friendly with. She didn't recognize many of the faces, or perhaps she did. She couldn't be sure when she spent most of her time around the other students in their school robes and in lessons.

She found James, Sirius, and Remus standing off to the side of the designated dancing area, sipping butterbeers and laughing. Cassie skirted the writhing mass of dancers and made her way over to them, not missing the way some of the girls and one or two blokes kept glancing to the trio in the vain hopes of being noticed by them. Sirius, of course, received the most looks, but Cassie forced her annoyance down. Sirius had picked her. And either he was studiously ignoring the ogling eyes or completely oblivious to them, for he remained wrapped up with James and Remus when Cassie approached.

James spotted her first and opened his arms wide. "Princess! Quite the turnout, eh?"

She fixed him with a moody stare. "I said not to go overboard."

He frowned. "This isn't overboard."

Cassie pointed to the wall behind him, where a giant replica of her face blew kisses out to the crowd—something she would never do at all. "Oh, really?"

He pouted at her. "D'you know how long that spell took me to cast?"

"You're hopeless," she muttered, taking a swig from her butterbeer.

"I think it's quite charming," Sirius said, slinging an arm across her shoulders and grinning. "Of course, not as charming as _mine_ …"

He gestured across the room, where his own giant head winked and smiled out to the partygoers. Cassie thought she saw a group of girls from younger years crowded around it and building some sort of shrine, but she didn't mention it.

"At least your proportions are correct," she mused. "Y'know, to match that massive ego of yours."

James laughed, clapping Sirius on the back. Remus chuckled, holding the butterbeer to his lips as he said, "She's got a point, Pads."

"Yeah, well, that's not the only thing that's massive," Sirius said, copying his look-alike and winking at Cassie.

They all groaned. Cassie shook her head. "Arrogant prat."

"You know you love me," he teased, swooping in to kiss her cheek.

She blushed and didn't say anything, drinking from her butterbeer. Her stomach fluttered with nerves at the word: _love._

Not sensing the sudden tension, Sirius turned to James and Remus and said something that made them laugh, his arm still casually around Cassie. She kept drinking from her butterbeer, hoping the cold drink would cool her down some. She didn't understand why she was freaking out—he hadn't said he loved her or anything, for Merlin's sake! But the word still pricked at her heart like a thorn. _Love._

"There you are!" Marlene exclaimed, swooping in to grab Cassie into a hug. "We've been looking for you!"

Sure enough, Lily and Alice were in her wake. Alice stood hand-in-hand with Frank Longbottom, and Cassie grinned at them.

"Frank!" she said after being released from Marlene's rib-crushing hug. "It's good to see you. Enjoying yourself?"

"I am, thanks," he said, giving her a one-armed hug. He swiped his thumb over Alice's in his other hand. Alice positively beamed at him, her eyes sparkling. "Happy birthday, by the way. And to you, Sirius," he said when the three boys turned to the newcomers.

"Thanks, Longbottom," Sirius said to the blond boy, raising his bottle in a toast.

Lily sidled up to Cassie and kissed her cheek.

"We have your presents in the dorm," she whispered in Cassie's ear, and grinned wickedly when the other girl groaned.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" she said. "No—"

" _No presents allowed on your birthday,"_ the girls echoed together.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Might as well get used to it, Cass. We're not gonna stop."

She laughed, the motion sending a quick, sharp flash of pain through her head, right in between her eyebrows. She reached up on reflex, but as quick as it'd come, the pain was gone.

The song changed just then on the wireless, some Muggle song Cassie had never heard before blaring from the magically amplified speakers. Like Cassie, those in their group not entirely familiar with Muggle music didn't acknowledge it, but Lily's head whipped up so fast Cassie feared her neck snapped.

"This is ABBA," Lily said, awed. Her wide eyes slid to James. "How did you do it?"

James smiled, attempting to look modest, but his cockiness still shone through clear as day. "Do what?"

Lily's eyes widened further when the song reached its chorus—something about a "dancing queen" and being only "seventeen."

"This is their newest album," she said, a strange expression on her face. "It only came out a few weeks ago! _How?_ "

James shrugged and sipped from his butterbeer. "Just pulled a few strings here and there; maybe cast a spell or two." He swallowed another sip. "I happen to like ABBA, too."

Cassie was shocked Lily's jaw hadn't detached completely and fallen to the floor yet. She was staring at James as if she had never seen him before.

"This is getting weird," Sirius announced, steering Cassie toward the dancers. "We're going to have fun while you two sort this out. _Ciao!_ "

Cassie set her empty bottle down before Sirius pulled her into the dancing crowd, twirling her by the hand and bringing her back in to his chest. She staggered at the sudden motion, but he caught her by her elbows and chuckled at her expression.

"Sorry," he said. "I should've warned you beforehand."

His hands slid down to wrap around her waist, pulling her into the beat of the song as they swayed together in the midst of the dancers.

"Don't tell me you were at the top of the class when it came to traditional dancing at those awful manners classes we had to take as children," she said, grinning.

He flipped his hair out of his eyes and smirked. "And if I was?"

She groaned, burying her head into his chest. "Then I'm doomed."

He chuckled. "Why is that?"

She grimaced, pulling back and meeting his gaze.

"I'm an awful dancer," she admitted. "My mum was so embarrassed that she pulled me out after only the second lesson."

He threw his head back and barked out a laugh that made several people turn in their direction. Cassie smiled, embarrassed. Her head flared with pain again, but like before, it vanished instantaneously. Shrugging it off, she refocused on Sirius, who was shaking his head with a broad smile.

"You're something else, Cassie Alderfair," he said affectionately, and her heart swelled.

"Shut up and dance with me already," was her only reply, but his smile widened, and he complied, spinning her around gracefully.

They danced through several songs together, heedless of the world and their own party around them. Devastatingly, Sirius truly was a terrific dancer, leading her with elegance and grace while she attempted to keep up and refrain from stepping on his toes. When the upbeat songs faded into something much slower, he pulled her flush against him, his hands slipping lower down her back and causing her face to heat.

She kept her arms looped around his neck, at least knowing what to do with those. Sirius, thankfully, didn't try and lead her into a complicated slow dance. He seemed content to just stand there and sway with her to the beat, the low bass thumping through his chest and reverberating against her own.

"You look lovely tonight," he said, dragging his fingers through the length of her hair. She'd left it straight, and applied only minimal makeup, dressing simply in black trousers and a cropped shirt she'd borrowed from Marlene that showed her midriff.

She tossed his own signature smirk back to him and winked, saying, "I know."

He chuckled, pressing her closer. The lack of space between them was making her hot—in more ways than one, especially at what she felt below his belt.

He seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she was, for he grinned and murmured in her ear, "Do you think the guests of honor will be missed if we slipped out early?"

Her toes curled with excitement, but she forced herself to say, "We haven't done the cake yet."

"That's not until midnight," he said. She drew back and gave him a weird look. He grinned. "Prongs has an itinerary."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course he does." She paused. "What time is it now?"

His grin turned wolfish. "Only eleven-thirty."

"So, a half-hour." She nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

He chuckled, not saying anything as he grabbed her hand and led her toward the boys' staircases. The drunk, dancing couples around them paid them no mind, and everyone else was currently gathered around the bar for drinking games, headed by James and Peter, as ever.

They slipped up the staircase and into the relative silence and darkness of the dormitories. Sirius pushed through the door of the room he shared with the other Marauders and shut it, casting a quick Silencing Charm and simple Locking Spell. He turned back to her with a seductive grin just as her head flared with pain again in the same spot as the previous times.

This time, the pain lingered, and she clapped a hand to her forehead, hissing in a sharp breath.

"You all right?" Sirius asked, reaching for her.

She waved him off, rubbing at the spot in between her eyebrows. The pain was already fading again, but her skin still prickled from it, like an itch she couldn't scratch.

"'m fine," she muttered. "Just this stupid headache. It comes and goes. But I'm fine," she insisted when he opened his mouth. "Get over here and snog me, Black."

"As the Princess wishes," he said with a grin. He grabbed the sides of her face and drew her in, his lips meeting hers in a burst of scorching heat. She curled her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer, their bodies melding together as his tongue swept into her mouth, making her moan softly.

She walked back toward his bed, never once breaking their kiss, toeing off her shoes as she went. Sirius copied her, kicking off his heavy black boots and shedding his leather jacket before reaching up and cupping her face again, his lips moving in tandem with her own.

She fell back onto the bed, taking him with her. He propped himself above her, pressing his hips into hers as she gripped his biceps, marveling at the feel of them before needing more of him. When she tugged on the hem of his thin T-shirt, he sat up and removed it, tossing it to the floor carelessly. His inky hair was now even more disheveled, falling into his angular face and bright silver eyes, now darkened with lust.

His large hands grasped her hips as he bent down and pressed heavy kisses to her exposed stomach, his teeth nipping at her flesh every now and then, making her gasp and arch into him each time. He reached up, sliding his hands along her ribs and back before unhooking her bra with one simple move. She discarded her shirt and bra and sighed when his mouth moved from her stomach to her breasts, her hands sliding over the bare skin of his shoulders and the corded muscles there.

Intimacy had become much easier once she'd let herself give in to it fully, without fear of rejection or embarrassment. Sirius had been wonderful, letting her take things at her own pace and teaching her what he liked and didn't, and she had done the same when he began reciprocating all she had done for him over the last few weeks. The only pitfall was how much she constantly craved him now—how she always wanted to feel him, and how she always wanted him to feel _her._

Hormones, she thought, were a terrible influence.

She undid Sirius's belt buckle and moved to his jeans, fumbling a bit, but not as much as she used to. He helped her by removing them himself, and then her own trousers, before sealing his lips over hers once again in a searing kiss that almost left her begging. She hooked one of her legs around his waist and pulled him closer, both of them hissing when they pressed against each other.

Sirius propped himself above her long enough to say, "Just tell me when."

But when she took in his messy black hair, his iron eyes, and swollen lips, she found herself saying, "Don't stop."

His eyes widened slightly, but he dived back in with new vigor, grinding into her with such intensity she nearly saw stars. Her body felt aflame, like she'd fallen into a scorching pit of fire, but she never wanted that burning to stop, especially when Sirius made quick work of her underwear and circled his thumb around the source of her heat.

"Fuck," she ground out, digging her nails into his back. " _Fuck,_ Sirius—"

"I'm getting there, love," he teased, chuckling when she whacked his shoulder. "We should hurry, though—it's midnight already—"

Her heat was building, higher and hotter—so high that her head was burning, on fire—

Cassie gasped when blinding pain shattered through her head, turning her vision black. She shot up, her hand clapping against her forehead as she let out a cry of pain.

"Cassie?" Sirius scrambled to get off her. "Cass, what's wrong?"

Tears blurred her vision, the pain mounting to new heights. Every muscle in her body was tense, her shoulders so stiff they were already getting sore as she hunched over, whimpering at the arcing pain in her head.

"Shit," Sirius was muttering. "Shit, shit, shit—" She heard him rush to the washroom, but barely registered when he returned a few seconds later with a wet washcloth. "Here, love—let's put this—what the _hell?"_

He'd pried Cassie's hand away from her head and the source of her pain and now stared at it in horror. Her heart rate spiked at the look, her whole body going cold.

"What is it?" she choked out. "Sirius, what's there—?"

"Wait here," he said—unnecessarily, as she was in far too much pain to move. He rummaged through his bedside table until he'd found a scrap piece of parchment and a half-empty ink bottle. He dipped a spare quill in it before looking back to the space between her eyebrows, his eyes widening. "It's fading."

" _What is?"_ Her voice had gone shrill with panic. "Sirius, what's on me?"

"A mark," he said, jotting something down on the parchment. "It's—it's _glowing_ —"

"What the _fuck_ does that mean?" she cried.

He looked back up to her and froze. "It's gone," he said, incredulous.

Cassie rubbed at the spot but felt nothing—even her pain had mysteriously gone.

Sirius glanced to the paper again.

"Wait…" he murmured. "This… It looks familiar," he said. "Like I've seen it somewhere before…"

Cassie snatched the paper from him and looked at it. He'd drawn a spiral with a teardrop shape in the center of it. In fact, the spiral looked like it emanated from the teardrop itself. She frowned. It _did_ look familiar. But where had she seen it? And why in Godric Gryffindor's sacred name had it been _on_ her?

And then it struck her.

All the blood drained from her face. Her hands turned clammy and started to shake. Dread such as she had never felt coalesced in her stomach, threatening to devour her.

Sirius gazed at her in concern. "Cass?"

"This pattern," she rasped. "It's the same one as the locket."

His grey eyes widened in disbelief. "The clockwork locket?"

She nodded, grim, staring down at the paper and the frighteningly familiar pattern. She thought of the locket, locked away in her trunk upstairs, a sinking feeling opening a pit in her chest.

"We never solved anything," she said. She looked back to Sirius, helpless. "What happened last year was only the beginning." She swallowed, her throat parched. "Sirius…shut the party down. Get the others up here. _Now._ "

"Why?" he asked, still stunned. "What's going on?"

She met his eyes gravely and gave him a weak smile. "We've got another mystery to solve."

* * *

 **Please review! I told y'all shit got real again...**

 **Also, I know the tunnel to Hogsmeade takes about an hour, but I've elected to ignore that small fact. Besides, does canon really matter here anymore?**

 **Next Chapter: _The Witching Hour_**

 **xx**


	11. The Witching Hour

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to JK Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Welcome back! Thank you for all the new favorites/follows, and thank you especially to those of you who reviewed the last time!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

 **The Witching Hour**

The party ended shortly after midnight.

With Lily's Prefect status and Marlene's intimidation tactics combined, the common room was quickly devoid of reveling students in fifteen minutes flat. Cassie paced the floor of the Marauders' dormitory in the meantime; Sirius had dressed and gone downstairs to fetch James, Remus, Peter, and Alice, carrying a message for the brunette witch that she was to retrieve a pair of striped socks from Cassie's trunk. When Sirius departed, Cassie had collected her clothes from the floor and put them on slowly, though she'd traded Marlene's cropped top for a T-shirt that belonged to Sirius, all traces of her previous festive mood dead and gone.

The Marauders, Lily, and Marlene stood awkwardly to the side of the room as Cassie continued to pace, occasionally rubbing the spot between her eyebrows where the mark had been. The pain was gone, but the skin there still tingled slightly, like a faint itch she couldn't scratch.

Cassie only looked up when the door to the dormitory opened. Alice entered the room cautiously, holding a pair of red-and-gold striped socks in her hands. She spotted Cassie and held them up uncertainly.

"Er, were these the ones you wanted?" she asked. "I spent ages looking for them—all right, or you can just take them without saying anything. That's fine, too."

Cassie had snatched the socks from the other girl and now unrolled them, revealing the clockwork locket. It fell into her open palm with a small tinkle. She threw the socks aside, her attention on the locket.

She held out her other hand to Sirius and ordered, "Paper."

Sirius wordlessly handed her the scrap of parchment he'd made his crude sketch on. She held it up to compare to the locket and nodded once, grim. "Yeah. It's exactly the same."

"What is?" Lily said. Her eyes darted between the locket and the paper. "Cassie, what's going on? Sirius said there was some kind of emergency."

"If a glowing mark appearing on your girlfriend's head right before you're about to lay it down on her doesn't count as an emergency, then I don't know what does," Sirius said, crossing his arms and leaning against one of the four posters of his bed.

"That is entirely too much information," Marlene said, wrinkling her nose. "But what's all this about a glowing mark?"

Sirius shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe Cassie's a Christmas tree now."

Cassie shot him a look. "Can you take this seriously? _Don't,_ " she added when he opened his mouth. He shut it quickly, looking quite put-out that he hadn't been able to use his signature pun. She looked to the others and shook the paper in her hand. "This drawing depicts what appeared on my forehead not even a half-hour ago." She glared at Sirius. "Previous activities aside, Sirius managed to copy it down before it disappeared."

"It's the same pattern that's on your locket," Remus said. He frowned. "I'm confused."

Cassie snorted. "Join the club."

Lily shook her head. "I don't understand," she said. "I thought you lost the locket in the Forbidden Forest?"

"So did I." Cassie gave the locket a disgruntled scowl. "But somehow it came back. My aunt found it in my old room at Alderfair Manor when we were there for my parents' funeral."

Peter looked pale. "Do you think…? Are you…?" He lowered his voice to a whisper. _"Haunted?"_

Cassie sighed and sat down heavily on Sirius's trunk. "At this point?" She laughed bitterly. "Probably. Nothing else in my life seems to make sense, so why not?"

"Maybe Peter's on to something," James said, holding up his hands. "I mean, that locket used to belong to Gryffindor himself and your ancestor, Miranda. You're their descendant. Maybe it just comes back to the rightful heir or something."

"The locket also used to belong to the ancient guardian of the Forest until Gryffindor stole it from him," Sirius said. "Maybe it's just cursed."

"That'd be a proper explanation for the…mark…glowing…thing," Alice said. She bit her lip. "But why would there be a mark…thing, anyway?"

Cassie shook her head. "I don't know, Al. Your guess is as good as mine."

"But why would it appear now?" Lily asked. "This is the first time it's ever happened, Cass? Are you sure?"

She frowned at the memory of the burning, blinding pain. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Do you think it was a, uh…reaction?" Marlene suggested. "To…y'know…" She gestured between Cassie and Sirius. At everyone's vaguely disgusted glances, she threw up her hands. "Well, someone had to ask!"

"Maybe all the alcohol had something to do with it," James said. "I mean, are we sure no one's hallucinating or anything? Could it just be a really bad headache?"

"I'm pretty sure headaches don't lead to weird symbols shining out of your face like a torch," Cassie said bitingly. "Sirius and I came up here just before midnight—"

Lily gasped, her eyes flying open. "Midnight!"

Cassie and the others traded glances. "Er, yeah, that's what I said…"

Lily shook her head. "No, Cass—midnight! Your birthday!"

Cassie sat, stumped. "Yeah, I guess it means today's officially my birthday. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know," Lily said, "but it could mean something. When the clock struck midnight, you turned seventeen—and that's when the mark appeared, right? That could be one of our leads."

Remus nodded. "It makes sense. Seventeen is an important number in the wizarding world, too. Not just because it means a witch or wizard is of legal age, but a lot of people think the number seventeen relates to immortality and clairvoyance—things like that." He flushed slightly when everyone stared at him. "What? Numerology is a fascinating subject."

"And utter bogus," James said. "How can numbers mean anything? They're just numbers."

"Point is," Sirius interjected, "Lily and Remus could be on the right track. The mark appearing when Cassie turned seventeen could be a strange coincidence, but also not."

"Nothing's ever coincidence," Cassie said, shaking her head. "We ought to have learned that by now."

"And we'll figure it out," he said. "We always do. Plus, we have more brains on this one than we did before."

He gestured to the girls and they nodded.

Alice grimaced. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Sirius is right. We'll figure this out, Cass. I promise."

She could only nod, not knowing what else to say. The mark and the pain were both gone, and there was nothing that she could do at the moment to find any answers for what had just occurred, or why.

"Well, if that's all…" Marlene hedged. "We should probably get some sleep."

Remus nodded. "We can reconvene in the morning; see if we can come up with anything else."

"Agreed," said Lily. She turned to Cassie. "Are you coming with us?"

She shook her head. "In a bit."

Though she frowned, Lily didn't question her, instead filing out the door with Marlene and Alice in tow. Cassie was left alone with the Marauders, who all stood around her in varying levels of discomfort.

"You believe me, don't you?" she blurted out. She looked between James, Remus, and Peter. James and Remus leaned against the former's bed, arms crossed identically and wearing twin frowns. Peter sat cross-legged on his mattress, picking at his nails anxiously. "I know it sounds mad, but Sirius was there, he saw it too—"

"We believe you, Cass," Remus said, his tone reassuring.

"Yeah," James said. "You really expect us to doubt you now, after everything that happened last year? This is just the icing on the cake, really."

"I don't want to get involved in any more…barmy shit," Peter said. He frowned at his nails. "Haven't we all been through enough already?"

"This is serious, Pete," Remus said. "This mark could be really dangerous. Maybe an actual curse. We need to help Cassie get to the bottom of this."

"Remus is right, Wormtail," James said, squinting at the mousy boy. "Cass is our friend. We don't abandon our friends."

"I know that," Peter said, meek. "But you and Sirius almost _died_ last term, remember? I don't want that to happen again."

"No one's gonna die, Wormtail," Sirius snapped. "Stop crying."

"Sirius," Cassie said warningly when Peter's lower lip trembled. She held up a tired hand. "That's enough, okay?"

He pointed to the locket resting on her knee. "No, it's not. Why don't we just burn that thing and end this before it even begins?"

"There's no use in trying to get rid of it if it just comes right back," she said, rubbing her temples.

"You tried getting rid of it once," he said. "What if we destroy it? Permanently?"

"Unless you know how to work Fiendfyre or something like it, then we can't," she said. "Obviously, there's some sort of protection spell on it, either from the Thief who had it before Gryffindor or from Miranda. Either way, we're not going to get past it since they're both dead."

"We could try chucking it into the ocean—"

"Sirius," Remus said, cutting him off when Cassie sagged against his footboard, exhausted and defeated. "I think what we all need right now is rest." He turned to Cassie. "You're more than welcome to stay the night if you wish."

James nodded. "We'll make a dogpile on the floor. Turn this into a real sleepover."

Cassie smiled wanly. "You know, that's not a bad idea. Let's do it."

But she knew already that she wouldn't be getting any sleep that night.

* * *

Cassie shifted under her blanket, dislodging James's bony elbow from her ribs. He'd called dibs on her other side when they'd settled on the floor to sleep, but she was starting to wonder if he'd claimed the spot just to torture her with his sporadic movements and lack of personal space. Sirius nestled against her other shoulder, snoring softly into her ear, while Peter spooned against his back, his legs pushing a soundly sleeping Remus diagonally across the floor.

With all four boys fast asleep, she extricated herself from the confining limbs of James and Sirius, careful not to wake any of them. Her socks deafened the noise of her feet as she crept to James's bed, her eyes picking out his belongings in the faint moonlight streaming in through the tower windows. She reached under his pillow and felt around for a moment before extracting two pieces of folded parchment.

Using the light from the window, she opened the first one and quickly shut it again in revulsion, the moving photograph now forever seared into her brain. She shoved it underneath the pillow again before grabbing up her wand and tiptoeing out of the dormitory, the other parchment still in hand.

When she reached the empty common room, she lit her wand and held it up to the parchment—a tattered, weathered thing that would look inconspicuous to anyone else, but she knew what it was.

She tapped her wand against the parchment and muttered, "I swear that I am up to no good."

She waited, but instead of the fine, spiderwebbed lines she recognized as the Marauder's Map, four sets of scrawled ink words appeared, spelling out sentences for her to read.

 _Mr. Prongs gives his regards to one Miss Alderfair, but begs of her to get the password correct if she intends on using the Marauder's Map for any risky business._

"What?" she breathed, astonished.

 _Mr. Moony agrees with Mr. Prongs, and would also like to add that Miss Alderfair may want to get the password right if she wishes not to be insulted thoroughly._

"Oh, you've got to be joking," she groaned, but the map wasn't done.

 _Mr. Wormtail bids Miss Alderfair not to look so SOLEMN whilst attempting to use the Marauder's Map in secret from its creators._

 _Mr. Padfoot expresses his disappointment in Miss Alderfair for failing to get the password correct, but applauds her mischievous misdeeds in using the map to further her own means. He hopes your MISCHIEF will be MANAGED in due time._

"Absolute tossers," she hissed. When did they Charm the stupid thing to respond to _her?_ They told her it was only supposed to repel Severus Snape!

"Wait a minute…" She peered at the sentences again, reading them over. "Mr. Wormtail bids Miss Alderfair not to look so _solemn_ …"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh. Right." She tapped her wand against the parchment once more. "I _solemnly_ swear that I am up to no good."

The sentences morphed and spread like drops of blood in water, covering the parchment in ink lines and dots and the names of every person within Hogwarts. She searched the flaps and folds for any professors or Mr. Filch, but most of the professors were tucked safely away in the teachers' lounge or their chambers, and Filch and Mrs. Norris were busy prowling the trophy room.

Her path clear, Cassie clambered out of the portrait hole and set off down the corridor, ignoring the Fat Lady's sleepy mumbles behind her. With the map in hand, she felt more confident than ever sneaking about the castle; she was practically unstoppable with it. If any ghost trailed along her path, all she had to do was extinguish her wand and hide until their dot had drifted away on the map again. It was no wonder the Marauders were able to get away with so much—the map was a marvel.

She made it to the second floor with only a minor brush with Nearly Headless Nick, but she'd hidden behind a suit of armor until he'd disappeared. The poor ghost hadn't even known she was there, instead only lamenting to himself about his botched beheading, as he was wont to do most nights.

With another glance to the map showing her the all-clear, she pushed her way inside the girls' lavatory warily. It was freezing; goosebumps erupted on her arms as soon as she entered, the tiles biting through the thin layer of her socks with ease. Ignoring the sudden chill, Cassie muttered "Mischief managed" and stowed away the map, but kept her wand out.

"Myrtle?" she called softly. "Myrtle, it's Cassie Alderfair. Do you remember me? I need to speak with you."

"It's quite late for you to be wandering about."

The ghost of Moaning Myrtle drifted through one of the stall doors, her large eyes wide and curious behind her phantom spectacles. Her pigtails ruffled in a nonexistent breeze, and Cassie rubbed her arms vigorously, still cold.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted to the ghost. "I needed to see you."

The girl sniffed. "I'm not your personal concierge for the afterlife, you know."

"I know, I know," Cassie said hastily. "But it's important."

"It always is with the living," she said mournfully. "Always in such a rush. When you're dead, you have nothing but time." Cassie said nothing, not wanting to upset the temperamental ghost. Myrtle sighed and waved a pearly hand. "All right, all right, what do you want?"

"Miranda," she said. "I need to speak with Miranda again. Can you find her for me?"

Myrtle drifted to one of the sinks and gazed into the mirror, picking at something invisible on her face. "She isn't here. She's gone."

"I know that," Cassie said. "Last term, she helped me when Salazar Slytherin tried to take something from me. It was her last tether to this world; she wanted to move on to the other side after she was done helping me."

"Then you know that her soul's not here," Myrtle said, looking back to her curiously. "When you choose to move on, that's it. There's nothing else here."

"But you're d—a ghost," Cassie said. "Isn't there some way you can, I dunno, communicate with her?"

"Does this look like a Divination classroom to you?" Myrtle gestured with a translucent hand to her defunct, haunted bathroom. "Miranda's gone. I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

"There has to be some way," she said. "Some enchantment, or-or a way to get a message through—"

"Do you think you're the first person who's asked a ghost how to speak with the departed?" Myrtle asked, her voice sad. "Do you know how many students have come to me over the years, asking me if I can talk to their dead mothers, fathers, siblings?" She shook her head. Cassie could see her own reflection in the mirror, shrouded by a dark smudge that was Myrtle. "I may be dead, but it's not like there's a door between this world and the next that I can pop through anytime I feel like it."

Cassie swallowed her disappointment. "No, I…I understand, Myrtle. I'm sorry for bothering you. I just thought…" She swallowed again. "If anyone had answers, it might be her."

Myrtle gazed at her with her eerily large eyes. "I heard about what happened, you know. How your brother killed your parents."

Cassie flinched. "Yes?"

"I am sorry for that," the ghost said. "If I could, I would help you just for that alone. No one deserves that kind of pain." Cassie nodded, her throat too tight to say anything. Myrtle tilted her head. "Miranda did tell me one last thing before she followed you into the Forest that night. _The Thief was not the only guardian._ Does that mean anything to you?"

"The Thief…" Cassie ran her tongue over her top teeth, thinking. "Yeah, sort of. The Thief, I know, but not the only guardian…" She trailed off again before shaking her head. "Thank you, Myrtle. It's not a lot, but it's something. Thank you for helping me."

The ghost shrugged. "Miranda was my friend. I'm just glad she's in a better place now."

Cassie nodded. "Me, too. Er, listen, Myrtle, I gotta get back before someone notices I'm out. But…I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Yes." She nodded. "But next time, bring that dashing Potter boy with you again. I'd like to see how _warm_ he can get me."

"Uh, sure." Cassie tried not to shudder at the image that provided and the many questions it raised about ghosts and life-after-death. "Bye, Myrtle."

She dashed out of the bathroom and collided with something solid that sent her stumbling back into the door. She lifted her eyes and met the glinting tawny gaze of Professor Staghart.

"I thought I heard voices," he said, his voice rumbling deep in his chest.

Cassie gaped. "I, uh—I was just—"

"Indeed." Professor Staghart smirked, the scars on his face lilting eerily. "Come with me, Miss Alderfair."

* * *

She was convinced she had to have the rottenest luck in the world.

She followed Professor Staghart to the Defense classroom one floor up, keeping silent as her heart raced, her thoughts running amok. How stupid could she be? She should've kept the map out, or at least glanced at it before running out of Myrtle's bathroom. But at least the professor hadn't seen the map. It was safely tucked away in the waistband of the sweatpants she'd borrowed from James, her shirt covering it up.

Professor Staghart led her to his office above the classroom and shut the door behind her. It was still lit with a crackling fire and glowing candles despite the hour, the light flickering across his black silk robes and dark skin, throwing his scars into deeper shadow. He gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs in the middle of the room, and she did. He crossed to a small table next to one of his many bookshelves and opened the bottom drawer, extracting a crystal decanter filled with amber liquid and matching glasses. She watched, confused, as he poured two drinks and handed one of the glasses to her.

He raised his own in a toast and said, "Cheers, Miss Alderfair."

She stared at the glass skeptically. He lowered his in confusion when she made no move to drink. "It is your birthday, is it not?"

She shifted her gaze to him. "How did you know that?"

"Because it's my birthday too." He grinned at her mystified look. "Thirty-one this year. And since you're now seventeen, you can legally drink. So, cheers."

He knocked his drink back in one gulp. She just cradled hers. "You'll forgive me if I don't accept drinks from my professors anymore."

"Ah, yes. I heard about that." He set his glass down and leaned against the table. "An allergic reaction to Veritaserum. Very rare. But you have my word, Miss Alderfair; I haven't done anything to your drink."

She couldn't explain why, but she believed him. She downed the drink and shuddered; it lacked the bite of firewhiskey, but it still left her coughing and spluttering. Professor Staghart chuckled.

"I've always had a particular love for Muggle Scotch," he said, taking the glass from her and setting it beside the other one. "A strange acquirement, especially for someone who grew up in Wales."

Cassie pressed a hand to her chest as her coughs subsided. She could already feel the alcohol in her stomach, warming her from the inside out. It was a nice sensation compared to the bone-deep cold she'd felt ever since Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

When Professor Staghart gave no sign of speaking further, Cassie cleared her throat. "Er, am I in trouble, sir?"

"For wandering the castle after hours?" He shook his head. His long, brown hair shimmered with the movement. "I'm not Mr. Filch, Miss Alderfair. As long as you weren't doing anything illegal, then I don't particularly care about enforcing that policy."

"Then…why am I here?"

He gave her a long, steady look. She shifted under his tawny gaze, his eyes glowing like embers in the candlelight.

"You've been through a lot in a short amount of time, Miss Alderfair," he said. "More than many wizards or witches go through in their lifetimes. Because of that, consider me a…concerned party, if you wish."

She scowled, turning her head toward the fireplace. "I'm not a broken doll, sir. I get along just fine."

"And I admire that about you, Cassie," he said. She started at the use of her first name. "Your tenacity and determination are inspiring. But if you'll allow me to speak from my own experiences, those qualities can only get you so far when it comes to suppressing your problems."

"I'm not suppressing my problems," she retorted. "I'm moving on with my life instead of wallowing in misery. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

"Yes," he said, "but there's a difference between moving on by repressing your emotions, or acknowledging those emotions and accepting them. The latter is what starts you on your path to healing."

Cassie sat, her fingers curling into fists in her lap. How many times would she have to go through this conversation? She was fine, for Godric's sake!

"As much as I appreciate your concern, sir," she said, fighting to keep her voice even, "respectfully, you know nothing about me. I'm _fine_."

"Of course." He held up his hands. "My apologies. I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries. Being a teacher is…new territory."

"Why be one at all?" she blurted out. "You were a Curse-Breaker. Surely that's much more exciting than teaching?"

"I won't argue with that." He gestured to his scars. "But at least being a professor is much less of an occupational hazard. So long as my students don't Stun me with five wands at once."

Despite herself, her lips quirked in a grin. "You'll only have to worry about that if you're trying to kill me."

He laughed. It was a surprisingly nice sound, rich and throaty. She found herself smiling back. But now, she was genuinely curious.

"What made you decide to be a Curse-Breaker?" she asked.

"History of Magic, if you can believe it." He poured himself another drink and chuckled at her incredulous expression. "I get that a lot. But that class was what put me on the path for learning—not about the history of magical events, but the history of _magic_ itself."

"Like magical theory?"

"Precisely like that." He took a sip from his glass. "With so many different cultures and origin stories of magic around the world, I resolved to find the answer for myself—for why magic existed. It led me down many strange paths with many dead-ends until I learned about Curse-Breakers. I thought if anything could help me with my research, then it was joining those whose job it was to work with ancient curses and artifacts—to study magic itself from the perspective of the past."

"That's…ambitious," she said, impressed. "And did you find any answers in your research?"

"Only fleeting ones," he said. He swirled the Scotch in his glass, the amber liquid glinting. "My mentor was a great influence—the wisest wizard I ever knew." He frowned and took another drink.

"Who was he?" she asked.

He swallowed with a grimace and said, "Erebus Kane."

All her warmth evaporated. Her gut plunged back into an icy cavern, filling her with frozen dread that stole over her body and chilled her blood.

"Erebus Kane?" she repeated, keeping her tone neutral despite every fiber of her being urging her to flee. "Isn't he in Azkaban?"

Professor Staghart nodded, grim. "Yes. You can see why I'm so hesitant to name him now."

Cassie's heart pounded in her chest. _Erebus Kane._ The exact man Will had been willing to go to Azkaban to find. And he'd been a mentor to Professor Staghart? That couldn't be a coincidence.

"If you don't mind me asking…" Professor Staghart waved a hand for her to continue when she paused. "Er, what exactly did he do? To end up in Azkaban?"

Professor Staghart said nothing for a long moment. He peered thoughtfully into his glass as if expecting the drink to tell her the answer. When it did no such thing, he knocked back the rest of it and plunked the glass on the table with a firm thud.

"It's late," he said, his voice controlled, clipped. "You should get back to bed before someone notices you're missing, Miss Alderfair. Now," he added sternly when she opened her mouth to protest.

She swallowed and stood. He didn't look at her, turning his gaze to the window and the lightening sky beyond. She walked to the door but paused with her hand on the knob. When she didn't leave, Professor Staghart turned back to her and met her glare head-on.

"You should know, Professor," she said, "I don't like it when people keep secrets from me."

She let her words hang in the air for a moment before she was gone, leaving the shocked professor in her wake.

* * *

 **Please review! I love hearing your thoughts!**

 **Also I know the map is only specifically charmed to repel Snape, but I loved the idea of the boys sitting around and doing the same for Cassie since she's so nosy. It's the little things that make me love this story.**

 **Next Chapter: _The Offer_**

 **xx**


	12. The Offer

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to J.K. Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Welcome back! I hope everyone is staying safe in these troubled times. Wishing everyone well, and if you ever need someone to talk to, my PM box is always open!**

 **I apologize for the long gap between updates. Truth be told, I lost the spark for this story, but while in the midst of quarantine, I found my old HP books and decided to read them again. And I'm glad I did-the outline for this story is now complete and the spark is back! However, this chapter is a bit filler, but I was inspired to go back to the basics for a little bit. Hope you still enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

 **The Offer**

Cassie didn't remember stumbling into her own dormitory or falling asleep there, but when she woke up, she was sprawled on top of her covers, still fully clothed with bright sunlight stinging her eyes.

She rolled over and groaned when her wand poked between her ribs. She dug it out from underneath her and tossed it on her bedside table. It landed on the Marauder's Map, thankfully blank and closed, so at least she'd had the sense to seal it before passing out. She peeked out from her curtains to find the dormitory empty; the only sign that the girls had been there was the lingering scent of Marlene's lilac-scented perfume.

Cassie rolled back over and rubbed her eyes, yawning. With everything that had happened within the last twenty-four hours, she was tempted to burrow under her covers and go back to sleep, but she knew she had to find the others and tell them what she'd learned last night about Professor Staghart and Erebus Kane.

With monumental effort, she dragged herself away from the comfort of her four-poster and staggered into the washroom, fumbling for her toothbrush. As she brushed her teeth to remove the taste of stale alcohol from her mouth, she stared at herself in the mirror, grimacing at her tangled hair and the leftover makeup smeared under her eyes, giving her the appearance of a hag. She rubbed at her forehead, but it felt completely normal. No mysterious glowing marks or pain.

After her teeth, she tackled her face and hair, scowling at a stubborn pimple on her chin before going back to her trunk to dress. She threw on an oversized jumper and jeans before grabbing the map off the table and jogging down the staircase, stuffing her wand in her pocket as she went. When she reached the common room, she barreled straight into someone standing near the staircase, sending herself reeling back with a curse.

"Watch where you're going," she snapped, only to look up and see James rubbing his arm where she'd bounced off him. "Oh, it's you."

"Don't sound so pleased," he said. He checked his arm for damage. "Have you happened to have eaten any rocks lately?"

She just rolled her eyes, choosing not to deign that with a response. "Lily's gone, if that's who you were waiting for—like a stalker, I might add."

He sniffed. "I was waiting for _you,_ actually. Lily already went to the Great Hall for breakfast with Marlene and Alice. They didn't want to wake you."

She scanned the common room for the other Marauders, but they were nowhere to be seen. "And your posse?"

"Library." He gave her a meaningful look over the rims of his spectacles. "Researching. Alice told me she, Lily, and Marlene would join us after they ate."

Cassie nodded. "That's a good idea. I don't know what exactly it is we should be looking for, but it's as good a place to start as any."

She made to move past him to the portrait hole, but he blocked her path. "Ah-ah. Cough up, Princess."

"Oh. Right." She took out the map from her pocket and grinned sheepishly at him. "Er, sorry. I just…had a lot on my mind last night."

He looked over the parchment before stuffing it into his own pocket when he was satisfied that she hadn't ruined it. "No, I understand." He fixed her with a stern glare that was reminiscent of his father's. "But if you ever lose it or someone nicks it while it's in your possession, it's your funeral."

"I am sorry for not asking for permission," she said, grimacing. "I shouldn't have taken it without letting you or one of the others know."

"Apology accepted, but only because I know last night was weird," he said, leading the way to the portrait hole. He shot her a glance as they passed through the tunnel. "Speaking of… Are you all right?"

"I'm tempted to ask you to shove me down the moving staircases and let me take my chances," she grumbled. He snorted, and she looked at him. "What about you?"

"Me?" He frowned at her. "What about me?"

"Are you okay?" When he still frowned, she gestured to him. "Look, I'm not dense. All this strange stuff that keeps happening to me…it has to have an effect on you guys, too." She shook her head. "I dunno. I don't want any of you to get involved. I never have."

"It's a little late for that, Cass," he said. He gave her a lopsided grin. "But I get it. And I want to say thank you."

They reached the trick staircases and hopped on one that came their way. "For what?"

"For keeping your word," he said. He drummed his fingers on the bannister while she avoided putting her foot down on the stair that was known for trapping people who hadn't the sense to watch their step. He elaborated when she shot him a puzzled look. "You promised not to keep any more secrets from us. And as far as I can tell, you've been honest. So, thank you."

She shrugged, uncomfortable at the praise. "Not like I could hide much from you. You lot are almost as nosy as me."

He chuckled. "Very true."

"Actually, can we skip breakfast?" she said once they reached the corridor. "I'm not hungry, and I want to see if the others have found anything."

"Sure," he said. "It's only been an hour, but we can still check. And we can always go to the kitchens later."

She gave him a grateful smile as they changed direction and walked toward the library instead of the Great Hall.

"Has your dad ever mentioned anything about a wizard named Erebus Kane?" she asked.

James frowned, thinking. "Nope, I don't think so." He glanced to her. "That's the man your brother said he was going to find in Azkaban, right?"

Cassie nodded, chewing her lip. "Yes. But no one seems to want to talk about what he did to end up there in the first place. And there's something else now, too. Wait until we get to the library, though, then I'll tell you."

James nodded, and they continued to the library in silence. Despite the hour, there was almost no one in the corridors; Cassie suspected that people were taking advantage of the weekend and sleeping in, or otherwise squirreled away to complete homework before tomorrow's Halloween Feast. The reminder of Halloween also made her remember Professor Slughorn's stupid masquerade, and she groaned aloud at the thought.

"Hex me," she said to James's questioning look. "I totally forgot about Slughorn's party."

He chuckled. "Ah, c'mon. It shouldn't be that bad."

"I don't even want to go," she said. "What if something like last night happens again? What do I do?"

"We'll just stick your head in the punch bowl and make a run for it. Ow!" he yelped when she smacked his stomach with the back of her hand.

"I'm serious, James," she said. "I don't know what's going on, or if it might happen again."

"What are you planning on doing, then?" he asked. "Lock yourself away in the tower for the rest of term? You know that won't solve anything."

She sighed. "I know."

"And Hogwarts is the safest place for you right now," he continued. "Even if you won't go to Dumbledore, you're safe here."

She nodded as the great doors of the library came into view.

"I know," she repeated, but she wondered if his statement was still true after everything that had happened within the past year. "I still don't want to go, though."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

They entered the library and found the other boys at a table in the back with piles of dusty books and scrolls shoved unceremoniously in the center of the round oak table. Remus and Sirius conversed lowly over a rather large volume while Peter was fast asleep atop another, his nose twitching in his sleep like he was in his rat form.

"Ah, the Princess awakens," Sirius said, looking up at the sound of their approach. His smile was easy, but Cassie could see the concern in his gaze. "Was the dogpile too much last night?"

"Cassie decided to do some late-night wandering instead," James said before she could speak. He grinned when she glared at him and tapped the pocket where the map was. "The apprentice has now become the master. We've taught her well, lads."

Remus shook his head in exasperation as Cassie and James drew up seats.

"Wherever did I go wrong?" Remus lamented.

Cassie snorted. "You're the one who got me into this, don't forget."

"Indeed." He shook his head in mock shame. "I corrupted you."

"Oi, don't take _all_ the credit," Sirius said.

"Anyway," Cassie said, setting her hands on the table, "what have we got?"

"A big fat pile of nothing," Sirius said, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms.

"I checked out both versions of Miranda's stories again," Remus said, tapping two familiar books in the pile. "The Latin and Old English ones. I was thinking _The Gauntlet of Gryffindor_ might help us again, even though we already know the tale."

"No, that's a good start," Cassie said, bringing the books closer. " _The Gauntlet_ is the only story where the locket's mentioned. Maybe there's another clue we missed the first time."

She took the Latin version and handed off the Old English one to James. He wrinkled his nose. "Yay. More translating."

"We also got a book of ancient wizarding relics," Sirius said, gesturing to the book he and Remus had been poring over when they'd come in. "The locket probably wouldn't be in there since it's been lost until recently, but maybe there's another object with a similar curse on it."

"So, we're thinking it's a curse?" she asked, her stomach squirming.

"It could be," Remus said, casting Sirius a reproachful look. "But we don't know anything for sure yet."

"That's comforting."

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Cass," Remus said.

She nodded. "They wouldn't have any Azkaban records in here, would they?"

"No, that's saved for the Ministry archives," Remus said. "There _are_ copies of past _Daily Prophets,_ though. You'd have to ask Madam Pince for access first; there's a whole back room dedicated to them, and she has the only key."

James looked at her. "You thinking about tracing back Erebus Kane's arrest?"

She nodded at the same time that Sirius said, "Wait, that bloke your brother wanted to find? Why?"

"I ran into Professor Staghart last night," she said, checking to make sure they were alone before continuing in a lower voice. "I initially went to Myrtle's bathroom to see if she had any more connections to Miranda, but when I left, I ran into him. We talked, and he mentioned that his mentor when he started out as a Curse-Breaker was Erebus Kane, but he wouldn't talk about who he was or what he went to Azkaban for."

Sirius shook his head. "So, the wizard your brother is looking for also happened to be the mentor of our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor? There's no way that can be a coincidence."

"I agree," Remus said. "Something's off. I think you should stay away from him, Cassie. Just until we're sure he can be trusted."

"Can we even trust anyone anymore?" she asked, shaking her head in disgust.

"We can trust each other," James said. He nodded to the softly snoring Peter. "We'll always have each other's backs."

"There's another thing," she said once they all nodded. "When I spoke to Myrtle last night, she said Miranda told her one last thing before she followed us into the Forest that night: _The Thief was not the only guardian._ "

Sirius snorted. "Well, that's not ominous at all."

Remus frowned. "Do you have any idea what she could mean?"

Cassie shrugged. "I don't know. But Miranda always wanted to help me. She wouldn't have told Myrtle that if she didn't think it was important for me to know."

"So…back to the Forest we go?" James asked hesitantly, as if hoping she would say no.

Instead, she nodded grimly. "Back to the Forest we go."

* * *

Later that day, Cassie ended up in the kitchens with Sirius at his coaxing. She hadn't the faintest trace of an appetite, but Sirius had insisted she needed to eat, which had resulted in them sitting alone in the kitchens while the house-elves dashed about like mad to prepare for tomorrow's Halloween Feast. Cassie pushed around the pasta on her plate, forcing herself to take a bite whenever Sirius looked at her.

After spending most of the morning and the better part of the afternoon researching in the library, they'd found no more leads. Even with the added brains of Lily, Alice, and Marlene, so far there was nothing on the locket, types of curses, or anything related to Cassie's strange occurrence that could be useful to them. They'd had no luck on Erebus Kane, either, but without any exact dates, sifting through the stacks of old _Prophets_ was tedious and frustrating work.

"Y'know, Cass, _staring_ at your food isn't going to provide you with much nutrition," Sirius said. He popped an orange slice in his mouth and gave her a stern look when she glared at him. "See, _eating_ it is what gives you energy."

"I'm not hungry," she mumbled.

"Too bad," he said, peeling the rest of his orange. The sharp tang of citrus hit her nostrils, and despite her words, her stomach rumbled. "Eat."

She forced herself to take a bite, not tasting anything at all. Sirius sighed. He looked perfect that day, as usual. His dark hair fell across his forehead and brushed the collar of his shirt, shadowing his angular face and the stubble he hadn't been bothered to shave from it. It made him look older, more mature, and if she hadn't felt so miserable, she would've gladly continued where they'd left off the night before.

"You're too pretty," she said suddenly. His eyebrows shot up. "It's unfair."

He grinned. "Well, I'm glad you think so. You're not too bad yourself, Princess."

She blushed. "I seem to recall you saying something along the lines of _beautiful._ "

"Don't get cocky," he said, smirking. "It's a far better look on me than you."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "How the hell did I end up here?"

"Well, you see, there's these things called feet that you use to walk to places—"

She rolled her eyes. "You're hilarious." She shook her head again. "I just mean _here._ With you, and the others, and Will…" She heaved a deep sigh. "Sometimes I wish that nothing had ever happened; that nothing had changed. Or that I was just…gone."

Slowly, Sirius lowered his orange slice from his mouth. "Don't say that."

"Not dead," she said hastily. "Just…not here. That if I went somewhere else, far away, then I wouldn't have to worry about any of you getting hurt." She stared at her half-eaten food. "You almost died last year, Sirius. And I can't—I couldn't…live with myself if something happened to you, or the others—"

He cleared the table in one lithe move, his body landing beside her on the bench while his arms wrapped around her securely. She melted into him, burying her face in his chest and inhaling the scents of pine, leather, and musk.

"I know, Cassie," he murmured into her hair. "Believe me, I know. If anything happened—to any of you—I'd lose it. I'd lose a part of myself."

"I'm so scared, Sirius," she whispered.

His arms tightened around her. "I know, Cass. But I'm here. I'm here."

And for that brief moment, she believed him.

* * *

Though she felt as if she were tainting the name of her ancestor, Godric Gryffindor, by staying in her dormitory while the others enjoyed the Halloween Feast and Slughorn's party that followed, Cassie was so exhausted that she didn't particularly care if she looked like a coward for not stepping foot from the tower.

She had sleep to catch up on, anyway, and despite her full head of thoughts, she dozed softly for several hours as the sun set, and the sky darkened.

Unfortunately, she dreamed.

First of Will: alone in a dank cell, shivering in a dark corner and huddled into a tight ball to escape the leeching cold; then of her parents, bloody and dead, with Voldemort standing over them and laughing in his high, cold voice; and then there was herself, standing in the middle of the Gryffindor common room while her head shone and burn, while every Gryffindor around her backed away in fear—even Sirius and the others, her best friends, turned away in disgust, loathing in their eyes—

She awoke with cold sweat slipping down her forehead. The clock on her bedside table read that it was a quarter past one o'clock in the morning, and the soft breaths filling the room told her that the other girls had returned and were fast asleep.

Cassie rolled over so she faced the window and gazed out to the deep black sky. She did not fall back to sleep until well into the morning.

* * *

November arrived in a sweep of bitter cold and overcast skies. Though no rain or snow fell, the sun always seemed to be obscured by the slate grey clouds, lending a gloomy air over the castle, especially with exams coming up before the holidays.

On one particularly cold and gusty afternoon, Cassie stood around a tank of double-ended newts in her Care of Magical Creatures lesson, scribbling down notes as Professor Kettleburn explained the magical properties of the newts.

"…Their main diet consists of algae—like you see here—which they can convert into a protective coating like what's on their bodies right now…The slimy coat of a double-ended newt is often used in many potions ingredients…"

Bellamy Armstrong—a Ravenclaw classmate of Cassie's—peered over at her notes. "What was the third most common potion a newt's coating can be used in? Sorry—he just speaks so fast…"

Cassie shifted her parchment so the other witch could see. "Confusing Concoctions."

"Thanks." Bellamy jotted it down.

Cassie continued to listen to Kettleburn. Though she loved the subject, all of her friends that had been in it the year prior had dropped the N.E.W.T. level course, leaving her alone and quite bored. The only thing that kept her interested was the advanced creatures Kettleburn showed them, like the mortis bats last month and the crups before that.

"Now, pair off and select a newt," Kettleburn said. "By the end of the lesson you should have collected a sample of newt slime that I can give to Professor Slughorn. Now, git!"

Cassie glanced to Bellamy. "Partners?"

Bellamy nodded with a slight smile. "Sure."

"I'll get our newt," Cassie said.

She walked to the tank where some of her other classmates stood, trying to catch the slippery newts, but she was intercepted by Professor Kettleburn.

"Alderfair," he grunted. "A word."

Cassie followed him a short way off, walking slowly as he limped along on his wooden leg. He turned once they were out of earshot of the rest of the class. Behind him, Cassie could see Hagrid, the gamekeeper, moving around in his hut through one of his small windows.

"Yes, Professor?" she said, trying not to let her apprehension show. Kettleburn was a grizzled old wizard with several missing limbs—torn off by various dangerous creatures, as he liked to boast of—and a short temper. Though she'd had him as a teacher for several years now, she'd never really spoken to him one-on-one before.

"How's yer bowtruckle?" he asked her unexpectedly. "I haven't seen him in a while."

"Little Leaf?" She blinked at the reminder of the little bowtruckle she'd bonded with in his class last year. She hadn't seen him in several months, since she and the Marauders had gone into the forest to search for the Thief's well. "Er, I'm not sure, sir. Hagrid told me last term that there was a great migration going on in the forest, and Little Leaf must have been part of it. I haven't seen him."

Kettleburn grunted. "Shame. It seemed like you two had a special bond." He scratched his stubbly gray chin. "Listen, Alderfair. I've kept my eye on you for the last few years—yer a great student. Have a way with the creatures." He eyed her with a glimmer of respect. "'s why I want to offer you something—a letter of recommendation for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. McGonagall says you haven't decided on a career just yet, but if yer interested in continuing your studies of magical creatures…"

Cassie stared. "You'd do that?"

"'s what I just said, innit?" he said.

She was flabbergasted. "I—er—"

"Think on it," he said, waving off her stuttering. "In case you want it later on."

"Th-thank you," she stammered.

He jerked his head. "Don' mention it. You should get back to work now, Alderfair." He grinned, revealing a mouthful of missing teeth. "I expect full marks."

"Yes, sir." She bobbed her head. "Thank you, sir."

She rejoined Bellamy, who had gotten their newt in Cassie's absence. Bellamy shot her a curious look. "What did Kettleburn want?"

"Oh, uh…" Cassie shrugged, not wanting to flaunt Kettleburn's offer. "He just wanted some clarification on a paragraph I wrote in last week's essay. Nothing serious."

"Ah, okay." Bellamy turned back to their newt. "I have a vial here for the slime coating…"

As the two girls worked together for the rest of the lesson, Cassie couldn't help glancing to the forest every now and then. Professor Kettleburn's reminder of Little Leaf had made her concerned. What _had_ happened to Little Leaf? Was he still out there somewhere? Or had he finally done what Hagrid suggested to her last term and moved on, deeper into the forest?

She stared into the depths of the trees, knowing with a sinking feeling that she was not done with the forest just yet.

* * *

Evening was settling in when Cassie finally trekked back to the castle with Bellamy, both girls clutching vials of newt slime and smelling dreadful from the substance still stuck to their hands. When they reached the courtyard, Cassie looked up and saw Remus walking toward her to meet her halfway.

"Oh," Bellamy said, spotting Remus at the same time as Cassie. It was hard to tell in the darkening light, but the Ravenclaw looked quite pink. "Er, I've got to get to dinner, Cassie. See you next lesson?"

"Yeah," Cassie said as Remus approached them. "Bye, Bellamy."

With a quick glance to Remus, the other girl rushed off. Remus looked after her, bemused.

"What was that about?" he said, turning back to Cassie.

Cassie smirked at him. "It's called a crush, Remus. I think she fancies you."

Remus frowned. "Me?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're oblivious." When he still frowned, she flapped her hand. "What's up? Aren't you going to dinner?"

He gave her a lopsided grin. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Forgot what?" Then it hit her. "Oh, bollocks. We have an Animagi lesson tonight, don't we?"

He nodded. "Luckily, I had a feeling you hadn't remembered." He reached into his bag and pulled out an apple and a chocolate bar of Honeydukes' finest. "It's not much, but it should hold you over until later."

"Remus Lupin, I might just love you," she breathed, snatching the snacks from him.

He chuckled. "You already do, remember? You told me last term in the hospital wing after…"

He trailed off, but she knew what he was going to say: _after you found out I'm a werewolf._

"Oh, yeah." She took a bite from her apple and chewed thoughtfully as he gestured her out of the courtyard and back out to the grounds. "But you said it back, so there."

He shot her an amused glance. "I never denied I did."

"Still." She poked his side as they made their way to the Whomping Willow. "You _luuuurve_ me."

He swatted her hand away. "Don't make me regret it." She laughed, and they fell into silence until he said, "Does that Armstrong girl really fancy me?"

He kept his eyes on the nearing Willow, but his face had an expression she couldn't read.

"I think so," she said, swallowing another bite of her apple. "I mean, she hasn't said anything to me, but she look quite flustered when she saw you today." She gazed at him, curious. "Why?"

He shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Dunno. Girls and me… It's not my thing. Never has been." He smiled ruefully. "Even if one ever noticed me beside James or Sirius, I'd never be able to get close. I wouldn't want to. Not with my condition."

Cassie frowned, finishing her apple and chucking it to the Willow. The vicious tree sensed it near and one of its branches came lashing out, hitting the apple like a Beater's bat and causing it to soar out of sight.

"You shouldn't let that hold you back," she said to him as he stooped and collected a large, dead branch from the ground. "You're a wonderful person, Remus. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

He poked the branch between the Willow's swaying boughs and touched the knot on its trunk. Instantly, the tree stilled, and they approached the tunnel mouth at its base.

"What about you?" she said as they crouched into the tunnel. "Have you fancied anyone?"

His shoulders tensed at the question as he walked ahead of her, holding his wand aloft to provide them light.

"'Course I have," he said shortly.

This piqued her interest. "Ooh, who? What are their names?"

"There's only been one."

She grinned at his bent back as they hobbled along the tunnel. "Even better! Who is it? It's a girl, right?"

He stumbled on a protruding root. " _What_?"

"I'm just asking!" Cassie said. "No judgment from me, I swear. We love who we love, right?"

"Er, right," Remus said, still sounding quite shocked. When Cassie prodded his back to prompt him, he sighed. "Fine, yes, it's a girl, you nutter!"

"It _is_?" she said, delighted. "So, you like her right _now_?"

He gave her a disgruntled look over his shoulder. "Where do you get all your nosiness from?"

"My mum," she said easily. "You don't become a magazine editor by keeping your nose clean, do you?" He mumbled something under his breath. "Sorry? Didn't catch that."

They reached the entrance to the Shrieking Shack. Remus climbed up and then offered Cassie his hand, hauling her into the derelict house and accidentally showering her with dust. He offered her a handkerchief when she began to sneeze.

"I said that explains a lot," he said, wrinkling his nose as she blew her own, quite loudly.

She grinned, shoving the used handkerchief into her pocket with the chocolate bar when Remus declined to touch her snot. "So, are you going to tell me or not?"

He rolled his eyes as he took a seat at the dining table. He waved his wand and lights sprung on throughout the room. "No, I'm not telling you."

She pouted when she sat across from him. "Not fair. Do the others know?"

"No," Remus said, looking as if he wished he hadn't spoken with each passing second.

"Why not? Is she a Slytherin or something?"

"Godric, no." He frowned. "It's just…not a big deal."

"Ah." She tilted her head. "So she's with someone else, eh?"

"What—? No." He shook his head quickly. "Where are you getting this all from?"

"Deductive reasoning."

"You need to be evaluated, then."

She heaved a dramatic sigh. "C'mon, Remus! Let me have some normalcy for once! I just want to focus on something _ordinary_ for a change."

"You can focus on becoming an Animagus," he said, extracting several books from his bag.

"Is she pretty?" she pressed, ignoring him. "In our year? In Gryffindor—?"

"Enough, Cassie!" Remus snapped. She shut her mouth instantly when his hard stare met her own. Immediately, his expression softened. "I-I'm sorry." He glanced to the books guiltily. "I didn't mean to raise my voice like that. Sorry, Cass."

"No, I'm sorry," she said, all her cheeky mischief gone. "I shouldn't've pressed."

He sighed, his eyes still on the books. "My condition… It's not something I wish to inflict on anybody. If someone got too close…if I wasn't careful…" He shut his eyes, his face pale. "I don't even want to imagine it."

She frowned at the dusty tabletop. Though they'd been using the shack more frequently and cleaning it more often, the grime always seemed to come back with a vengeance.

Remus sighed again. She looked up to him and noticed how tired he looked; there was a week until the full moon, but it was already taking a toll on him.

"She's in our year," he said finally, keeping his gaze trained downward. "And yes, she's a Gryffindor. But it wouldn't work; I have to respect—"

He fell silent again, looking as if he'd already said far too much. As he cleared his throat and began opening the books, Cassie sat, thinking. There weren't many Gryffindor girls in their own year. Just her, Alice, Marlene, and—

 _Lily?_ She pondered it. Lily fit the description. And Remus has to respect…James? That had to be it. James had pined after Lily for years. Remus _would_ be the type to respect that…

"Let's get started," Remus said, clearing his throat. "I think we're good on theory, so now we just need to work on getting you ready for transformations…"

They practiced well into the evening, when Remus suddenly checked his watch and announced they had twenty minutes to get back to the castle before curfew. They collected their things and cleared out, crawling through the tunnel until they reached the entrance and Remus had immobilized the Whomping Willow again, allowing them to start back to the castle.

They walked in silence, Cassie hungry and exhausted and Remus pensive. It wasn't until they reached the double doors of Hogwarts that Remus stopped, his whole body tensing. He wheeled around, his eyes scanning the shadows of the courtyard.

"What is it?" Cassie asked. She tugged on the sleeve of his robe. "Remus?"

After another minute, Remus slowly turned back to her, shaking his head.

"It's nothing," he said. "Sorry. I just thought…someone was watching…"

Cassie stared at him. "Could it be—er, you know—a…side effect? With…"

She flicked her eyes up to the sky, where the moon squatted behind a low-lying cloud.

"Maybe," he said, though he sounded uncertain. "Come on…we should get inside before someone notices we're out…"

But Cassie couldn't help but feel that there were eyes on her too as Remus ushered her into the castle.

* * *

 **Please review! I'd love to hear from you all again!**

 **Next Chapter:** ** _The Watcher_**

 **xx**


	13. The Watcher

**Disclaimer:** _All rights go to J.K. Rowling. Anything you don't recognize is mine._

 **Welcome back! Hope everyone is doing well, all things considered. Thanks for sticking with the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 **The Watcher**

The rest of the month passed swiftly. Even with the combined efforts of eight brains working toward one goal, information about Cassie's mark or Erebus Kane proved nonexistent. Cassie had even told the others about the mysterious name Norvina her father had left her, but nothing could be found about that either.

Researching became even more difficult as the weeks dragged on and the sixth-year workload piled higher and higher. Every night, Cassie would stay awake until absurd hours of the morning just to get all her homework done, and emotions began to run high and morale low among the sixth years.

Between classes, homework, Animagi lessons, and Quidditch practices, it was hard for Cassie to even find time to be alone with Sirius. The only light at the end of the tunnel had been the Hogsmeade weekend coming up at the end of the month, but when a sudden bitter blizzard slammed Hogwarts, the trip was cancelled last minute.

"Well, that's it," Cassie said miserably when Professor McGonagall left the common room after posting the notice on the bulletin board and announcing the cancellation. Cassie pulled out her wand and pointed it at her face. "I'm jinxing myself."

Lily snatched her wand with a scowl. "Quit it, Cassie! You know you should never point a wand at something unless you intend to use a spell on it!"

Marlene and Alice chuckled at Cassie's antics as Lily handed her wand back.

"A shame," Marlene said, sinking back into her armchair with a sigh. "I was looking forward to some butterbeer."

Alice nodded. "We could've used a break from the castle. If I even have to _look_ at homework this weekend, I'm—" She copied Cassie's motion from earlier.

Lily looked scandalized. " _Stop_ that—"

"Stop what?" James had just come through the portrait hole with Sirius, Remus, and Peter in tow, as always. He grinned at Lily. "I haven't done anything…yet."

Lily huffed and crossed her arms, but otherwise made no remark. It'd been a challenge having Lily and James working in proximity with each other as they all researched, but after three solid weeks of it, Lily seemed to no longer want to throttle James nearly as much as she did before, and even James had toned down his obnoxiousness in her presence in the wake of Cassie's ordeal.

"Lily won't let us jinx ourselves," Cassie explained as the boys joined them by the fireplace. Sirius flopped down at Cassie's feet and she idly combed her fingers through his hair. She could've sworn he let out a low whine.

"And why do you want to jinx yourselves?" asked Remus.

Marlene pointed to the notice board. "Hogsmeade got cancelled because of the bloody storm."

Peter sat up as if Marlene had just announced that his mother was terminally ill. " _What_? But I have to restock on my Zonko's supplies!"

Alice snorted. "Try taking _that_ up with McGonagall."

"I got it!" James snapped his fingers and stood up after appearing as if he had been deliberating a complicated spell. "C'mon, lads; we have a mission to carry out."

Sirius, who'd had his eyes closed while Cassie played with his silky hair, opened one to glare at James. "No way. I just sat down."

"Yeah, what gives, Prongs?" Peter complained.

"We have a mission," James said slowly, his eyes beseeching his friends. "One that involves—" he pointed to his cloak pocket "—and—" he patted his bookbag.

Lily, Alice, and Marlene looked absolutely bewildered, but Cassie understood; James's mission, apparently, involved the Marauder's Map and his Invisibility Cloak.

Cassie made to get up. "I'll come with—"

But James shook his head.

"Nah. Sorry, Princess, but you'll only slow us down."

She made a face at him. "Excuse me?"

He ignored her, facing the other boys. "I'm invoking the Marauder's Code Section Eight! Get up!"

Sirius groaned. "Dammit, James, why the code?"

"Because you're all being lazy flobberworms!"

"I resent that," Remus said, but he stood up anyway.

Peter followed suit, and they all looked to Sirius. He snuggled closer to Cassie's knees with a petulant frown.

"Padfoot, you bloody traitor!"

"Leave him," Remus said to an outraged James. "C'mon, we can do it ourselves."

Cassie pouted. "What about me?"

But Sirius wrapped his arms around her legs. " _Nooo._ "

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine, you big baby."

Sirius kissed her calf.

Lily was gazing at James, suspicious. "What are you lot getting up to now?"

James just waved his hand airily. "Nothing you need to worry about, Evans. Just be ready by seven."

"What? Why? Potter!"

But he was already striding for the portrait hole once more with Remus and Peter.

* * *

Alice, Lily, and Marlene eventually went to dinner, but Cassie stayed on the sofa by the fireplace with Sirius, who had moved from his place on the floor and now dozed on the sofa with his head in Cassie's lap.

Cassie stared into the flames. The fireplace reminded her of the time Will had communicated with her after Valentine's Day, telling her to stop searching for clues and that he was willing to sacrifice himself to stop Voldemort. Had that only been several months ago? It now felt like it had been decades since that had happened—since she and Will had been on the same side. And now…

She turned it all over in her mind, like precious stones and their many glimmering facets; Will…Erebus Kane…Norvina…her father…the mark…Professor Staghart….

She hadn't spoken to Professor Staghart alone since the night of her birthday. Though the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor treated her normally, a new knowing glint had appeared in his tawny eyes after their conversation nearly a month prior. She didn't even want to think about what that look could mean, so she'd avoided him as much as possible outside of class time.

The web kept expanding, but the center of it all still remained the mystery of the locket. She had no answers, but she kept coming back to Miranda's message: _The Thief was not the only guardian._ The Forbidden Forest was now her only lead, and as much as she didn't want to go back in that terrifying place, she knew that she had to if she wanted to glean any information and put this mystery to rest once and for all.

She felt a tug on her hair and looked down into Sirius's grey eyes.

"Have you been staring at the fire this whole time?" he asked, amused.

She shrugged. "I stared out the window for a while too."

He chuckled. "You should've been in Ravenclaw. That brain of yours never rests."

She sighed and leaned her head against the cushions. "You know my family was all Ravenclaws before Will and me?"

"I didn't know that." He tilted his head, studying her. "But I can see it. You being a Ravenclaw," he added to her confused look. "It suits you, somehow."

"My father always told me I was too rash to be in Ravenclaw," she said. She smiled sardonically. "He used to say that I thought with my emotions instead of logic."

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

"He certainly thought it was. Of course, he never told Will the same thing. Will could never do any wrong, even if my father was disappointed that he'd gone to Gryffindor."

She frowned at the fire for a long time until Sirius asked, "Do you miss him?"

"Who? Will?" she said, instantly wary.

"No," Sirius said. "Your dad."

For some reason, this question was almost worse than if he'd asked her if she missed Will. The betrayal and anger she felt toward Will made her answer easy, but her father….

The man who'd called her a blood traitor, but also the man who'd left her a mysterious name after his death. Had he known he was going to die? Was that why he'd left Mr. Gorgon that note to give to her? He'd never hid his disdain for her, but she'd always wondered, always hoped, if she could one day get him to love her as he loved Will….

Her chest tight, she was spared having to answer when the girls returned to the common room through the portrait hole. Cassie shifted away from Sirius's gaze as the girls sat around them, shooing away the fourth years that had congregated in their absence.

"You should've come with us, Cass," said Alice. "They were serving this _delightful_ casserole—"

Marlene snorted. "I still would've preferred being at the Three Broomsticks instead of being cooped up here—"

But Alice wasn't done raving. "It had this _cheese,_ and I've never tasted anything like it, I swear on Merlin's old trousers—"

Lily chimed in. "It wasn't _that_ great, Cass, don't worry—"

Alice turned on her. "How dare you? I'll have you know—"

Cassie listened in amusement as her friends debated the revelatory casserole, with Marlene interspersing the argument by lamenting the loss of the Hogsmeade trip. Sirius took a red-and-gold striped pillow and pressed it over his face to drown out their arguing. Right before Cassie was sure wands were about to be drawn did the portrait hole open once more, and in trooped James, Remus, and Peter, back from whatever secret mission they had been on.

"Finally," said Cassie, shouting over her friends and silencing their bickering. "Where've you been?"

James joined them by the fireplace, patting his now bulging bookbag. "Gathering some essentials."

"Such as?"

James glanced around surreptitiously before pulling out a bottle of butterbeer from his bag. Lily's eyes bugged while Marlene and Alice gasped simultaneously. Cassie grinned and Sirius removed the pillow, whooping when he saw the bottle.

"Where did you get that?" Lily demanded. Cassie thought that Lily would be angry at such a breach in the school rules, but instead she looked mildly impressed.

"Just found them lying around," James said vaguely, now taking bottles and passing them around their circle. He offered one to Lily, his eyebrows raised in question, but she accepted it wordlessly, surprising Cassie even more. She glanced to Remus, but he wasn't paying attention, opening his butterbeer while he took a seat with Peter and Alice.

Though Remus had put an end to Cassie's meddling about who it was he had a crush on, she'd begun watching his interactions with Lily more closely over the weeks, keeping her suspicions to herself. Remus and Lily were prefects together, and often patrolled with each other, and yet school had kept them infuriatingly distant outside of their prefect duties. Cassie knew she was just being nosy, as per usual, but that still didn't deter her from wanting to know what was going on with her friends.

"Well," James said, raising his butterbeer, "despite Mother Nature ruining our chances at a long overdue break in our exhaustive studies—"

"Hear, hear," Marlene interjected glumly.

"—I propose a toast to butterbeer, friends, and surviving our N.E.W.T. year so far!"

Cassie clinked her bottle against Sirius's. "Cheers, mate."

Bottles clinked and everyone drank deeply, savoring the warmth that came with the butterbeer. After Cassie had drunk her fill, she lowered her bottle and said, "We need to go back into the Forest and figure out who or what the other guardian of the well was."

James said, taking his bottle away from his lips. "I can never have peace, can I?"

"There might be a clue we missed the last time," agreed Remus, thoughtful. "But if we go back in there, we need a plan. We can't just charge in like we did before."

Sirius snorted. "Why not?"

"I dunno. Since you almost died last time?" Remus said sarcastically.

"We're going too this time," Alice said, sitting up in her seat and glaring at Cassie and the Marauders, as if daring them to object. She indicated herself, Marlene, and Lily. "We want to help."

"I'd prefer not going into the Forest, but she's right," Marlene said with a grimace.

Lily nodded. "There's strength in numbers—and we'll need that."

"Then it's settled." Cassie nodded. "We're going back. But this time, we'll be prepared."

* * *

Cassie stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, her wand in one hand and the clockwork locket in the other. Behind her, the Marauders, Lily, Marlene, and Alice waited for her signal to enter the forest. They'd taken a week to prepare for the journey, planning their routes and strategies if they encountered anything sinister, and riding out the snowstorm that had plagued the castle grounds.

Though the storm had passed, the cold had not. Frost crunched under Cassie's boots as she stood in the grass, shifting her weight from foot to foot nervously. They'd used the Marauder's Map to ensure that no one would see them sneaking out of the castle, but she still felt a prickle on the back of her neck similar to the one she'd feel whenever Peeves the Poltergeist hovered behind her and blew air on her.

She stared at the dark forest yawning before her. The last time they'd been here, Little Leaf had acted as their guide, but Cassie hadn't seen the bowtruckle in months, if he was even still alive. She shook that thought off; worrying about Little Leaf wouldn't do her much good right now. She'd have to rely on the locket this time and hope that whatever magic it had would lead them to the well once more.

"Well," James said cheerfully into the tense silence, "we won't accomplish much if we just stand here."

Cassie frowned at his tone, but when she noticed his fingers twitching in their gloves, she realized that James was just as anxious as her. "He's right. Let's get a move on." She stepped up to the tree line. In her left hand, the locket beat against her palm through her mitten, matching the rapid pace of her heart. "Like we talked about; we move in pairs and stay within shouting distance. Wands drawn at all times." She inhaled deeply and said to herself, "Let's do this."

She plunged into the trees with Sirius by her side. Remus and Lily fanned out to their left, while Marlene and Alice did the same to their right. James and Peter took up the rear, and the eight of them moved into the forest, their wands raised, the tips ignited to provide them light.

Cassie and Sirius kept up a steady pace as they walked, dodging roots and ducking beneath low-hanging branches sporadically. The locket beat a strong, pulsating rhythm, and Cassie assumed that meant they were on the right path as they journeyed deeper and deeper into the eerie forest.

Almost a half-hour passed before Sirius put his hand on the small of her back and said, "You doing all right?"

She nodded. "Did it take us this long to find the well before? I feel like we've been walking for miles."

"I don't remember. I was a dog most of the time before." He sniffed. "I still don't know why you wouldn't let us use our Animagus forms this time."

Cassie snorted. The sound echoed in the stifling silence of the oppressive forest. "It would take too long to explain to the girls, and we don't exactly have the luxury of time right now."

Sirius frowned. "They'd take it well. You did."

"I was a little shaken up after witnessing a werewolf transformation to be shocked by anything else that night."

"Point taken. I just wish you'd stop reverting back to your old ways whenever the locket gets involved."

She turned to face him in confusion, narrowly avoiding a branch to the face before Sirius maneuvered her out of the way. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. In the white light from his wand, he looked almost ghostly. "Keeping secrets. Thinking you have to solve every little thing on your own without help. Oh, c'mon, Cass, don't give me that look," he said to her defensive posture. "Your lone wolf streak is getting a bit old now."

"I do it to protect you," she said hotly. " _All_ of you—"

"You're not a savior," he snapped. She blinked, shocked. His words echoed those exactly of what she'd told Avery over the summer, right before he'd kissed her. "You're one seventeen-year-old witch. Not everything relies on you."

"I know that! Why do you think all of you are here tonight?"

He grabbed her elbow and spun her around until they were face to face.

"Just promise me," he said, his voice low. "Promise me one thing, Cassie."

The locket shivered in her hand as she said, "What?"

"Whatever you do," he said, "don't do it alone." His hand slid down her arm until it rested in hers, the locket clasped between them, beating like a heart. "Don't do it without me."

She searched his eyes, shining silver in the light. She understood what he was asking. The words shimmered in the air between them, unspoken. _When you face your brother, when you face Voldemort, we do it together._

"Please," he said when she hesitated. "Promise me, Cassie."

She nodded, her throat feeling like it was stuffed with coal. "I promise."

The locket hummed.

He let go of her hand and reached up, grabbing the back of her neck gently and pushing her forward until her forehead touched his. For a moment, Cassie forgot about the forest and the locket, the well and the guardian, all of it, as they breathed each other in, their promise filling their lungs.

"Cass," Sirius murmured. His breath left him in a little shudder. "I—"

"Oi!" Remus shouted. "We found something!"

Cassie broke away from Sirius and sprinted in the direction of Remus's shout. After a moment, Sirius followed her, catching up easily with his longer legs. The two burst into a small clearing where Remus and Lily stood just as James, Peter, Marlene, and Alice met up with them.

"What is it?" Cassie said, skidding to a halt.

Remus pointed to the other side of the clearing. "Look familiar?"

Cassie followed his finger to two ancient, gnarled trees, twisted together in an oval shape. In her hand, the locket jumped in excitement.

"The gateway," she said. "We found it."

Without waiting, Cassie walked toward the trees and stepped between their bent trunks. Unlike last time, no magic tingled her skin as she entered. It seemed Miranda's wards had broken the night she'd sacrificed herself to destroy Salazar Slytherin and the well.

The others followed her through the gateway, gazing around warily at the large clearing they emerged in. Here, the cold seemed impossibly harsher, burrowing into any opening they had and piercing their skin. Lily's teeth chattered, the sound the only thing they heard in the clearing. Remus offered her his scarf, and she took it gratefully as their breath billowed into the air like fog.

Cassie bent down and ran a hand over a long, deep gouge in the ground. She looked up and realized that it was a huge scar cut into the earth itself, dividing the clearing almost in half. She pointed. "This was where the well was. Before Miranda destroyed it."

Marlene's eyes were wide. "A ghost did this?"

Cassie nodded. "She gave up the last of her spirit to do it. That's why she's gone."

"So, what are we looking for, exactly?" Alice asked. She glanced around the clearing uneasily.

"I'm not sure." Cassie frowned and looked to the locket. It pulsed steadily, but gave no indication that there was something else to be found here. "The other guardian could be anything."

"Yeah, that's…what I'm afraid of," Alice squeaked.

Cassie set the locket down and sat back on her heels. "I mean, it's not like the locket came with an instruction manual—"

Her words were drowned out when a sharp gust of wind roared through the clearing, setting the surrounding trees to creak and moan under the onslaught. Cassie covered her eyes as dirt swirled into the air, and Peter cried out behind her. The locket quivered on the ground before it sprang open of its own accord, but instead of hearing her brother's message echo at her, a harsh, chanting whisper came out, almost lost in the wind.

As suddenly as it came, the wind died down and the strange voice disappeared. Behind her, Alice gasped, and Cassie lowered her hand to see a woman standing over her, the locket at her feet. It was the woman from before—the one Cassie had seen all summer that she thought was Miranda. But it wasn't.

This woman lacked the pearly sheen of a ghost, standing before Cassie as living flesh and blood. Grey robes floated around her, a ring of bone on the middle finger of her right hand, and a necklace of what looked like a dragon tooth at her throat. Her hair was long and dark, and eyes as black as onyx gleamed out of her pale white face—a face that resembled Cassie's own.

"Great," James muttered. "Another one."

Cassie climbed to her feet and stared at the woman. She was taller even than Remus; almost seven feet if Cassie had to guess. This realization did nothing to soothe her nerves.

"Who are you?" she said.

The woman smiled. On her bone-white face, it looked ghastly, like a skull grinning out at her. "Two thousand long years, and the world forgets my name like it never existed. I am Norvina, child. The sire of your very bloodline."

Cassie gaped. " _You're_ Norvina? You're an Alderfair?"

Norvina's bloodless lips curled. "The very first."

She shifted, peering over Cassie's shoulder to her friends. A sword with a pommel of bone poked out of the folds of Norvina's robes at her hip. Cassie angled herself between the ancient witch and her friends, clutching her wand tightly. Norvina noticed this and chuckled, the sound low and deep in her chest.

"What do you want?" Cassie demanded. "Why are you here?"

Norvina flicked a hand to the locket, lying still on the ground. "You summoned me, child."

Cassie snatched up the locket, training her wand on her ancestor. "No, I didn't. We're looking for the other guardian of this place."

"The Watcher is asleep, child," Norvina said. "He has been for as long as I've been dead. He slumbered long before the Thief found this place and claimed it as his own."

"Then you knew what this place was?" Cassie said, gesturing to the scar in the earth. "The well?"

"The Fountain of Youth, they called it during my time," Norvina said. "The center of all magic. It was where my sisters and I made our home two thousand years ago."

"Your sisters?" Cassie echoed.

"Not by blood," Norvina said, "but by oath. There were seven of us, sworn to each other to protect the secrets of our magic. We called ourselves the Seven Elders." She pointed to the locket with a fingernail that looked like a talon. "And that little trinket you carry was made by us."

Cassie gripped the locket tighter. It squirmed in her hand, but she ignored it. "I thought it was the Thief's?"

Norvina scowled. "That filthy creature found it when he invaded our home. We were forced to flee when others found out about our order and rallied to have us crucified. We were never able to return after that."

"Why not?" Cassie asked. "You're here now. You're alive."

"Am I?" Norvina said with a sickly smile. And then she changed.

Her skin crumbled to dust, revealing parched white bone. Her eyeballs and teeth clattered to the ground, her dark hair falling out in great clumps until only a skull remained. The grey robes she wore withered into tatters that clung to her ribs and pelvis. The only things that remained intact were her necklace and ring and the sword that dangled precariously from a bony hip.

Cassie stared, horrified. Somewhere behind her, Peter retched, and her friends made various noises of shock and disgust. When Cassie blinked, Norvina was normal again, but Cassie knew that image would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"The locket is my last tether to this world," Norvina explained. "Our spirits imprinted upon it when it was forged. The locket is us; made from our own flesh, bone, blood, and magic."

"Then where are the others?" Cassie asked when she found her voice again. "Why are you the only one that appeared?"

"Because you are my blood." Norvina placed a hand on the pommel of her sword. "If another descendant of my sisters' lines had the locket, then that sister would appear to her own descendant. It is the only way to keep the secrets of our magic safe, that way no one person would have access to all its power at once. Only all seven of our blood can wield it together."

Cassie frowned. "But my brother was able to enchant it with a message last year. How could he use it then?"

"The locket has many properties," Norvina said. "Some do not require anything more than a proper magic user to activate such things."

"But what _is_ the locket?" she said, shaking it in her fist angrily. "How come it came back when I tried to get rid of it? How come a mark that looks just like it appeared on my freaking _head_ the night I turned seventeen?"

"You are an Alderfair," Norvina said. "You bear my mark, and thus the mark of the Seven. It appeared on the night you came of age because the magic that runs in my blood also runs in yours. You are now one of the Seven Elders, descended from the original order."

"Meaning what?" Cassie said, her very bones cold at the words.

"You now have access to the locket's true power, so long as you have the other six descendants with you," the ancient witch said.

"But what does it _do_?" Cassie demanded, frustrated.

"Everything," Norvina said, a touch of reverence in her deep voice. "Nothing. Whatever you want it to do. The locket is the beginning, the middle, and the end of all magic in this world. Every arcane art is contained in it, fueled by the remnants of the Fountain of Youth. You could conquer the world if you wanted to, or create a new one entirely."

"No one has that much power," Sirius broke in, speaking up for the first time since Norvina appeared. He came to stand by Cassie's shoulder, facing the ancient witch squarely. "You would have to be gods to have that much magic at your disposal."

"My dear," Norvina cooed, "you have no idea what is possible with magic. Especially in the days when the very gods you speak of shared their ichor with mortals and taught us things you could never dream of."

Norvina's words reminded Cassie of what Will had told her, standing before their parents' tombs: _"Our ancestors wielded magic and might when gods still mingled with the mortals of this world. Lord Voldemort forgets who the true royalty of the Wizarding world is."_

Cassie flung the locket at Norvina's feet. Norvina, Sirius, and everyone else stared at her.

"Take it," Cassie said, her voice hoarse. "Take it back. I don't want it."

"Cassie—" Sirius said, but she shook her head vigorously.

"I don't want it!" she said shrilly. "Take it, destroy it—I don't care! I don't want it!"

Norvina glared down at her. "There is no way to destroy it. Not by yourself. Only with the other descendants or by giving it to someone unworthy of its power do you have even a sliver of a chance."

"Take it back!" Cassie screamed at her. "Take it back and _get the hell out of my life!"_

"You are me," Norvina said, "and I am you, child. Ridding yourself of the locket would mean forsaking all magic in your blood. It is bound to you now."

For a wild second, Cassie thought of it—stripping away her magic if it would mean getting rid of the locket forever. The pain and misery it had brought upon her just in the last year made her want to snap her wand in half and be done with it.

But she couldn't do it. Her magic was _her._ Forsaking it would be akin to ripping her own heart out of her chest. She couldn't.

Cassie picked up the locket again and met Norvina's black stare.

"So," she said, her voice eerily calm. "The locket is bound to me, you say?"

Norvina nodded. "You will not have access to its full power, but what residual is there, you control it."

Cassie closed her fist around the locket. "Very well, then." She looked at Norvina. "By what magic is in my blood, I banish you."

Norvina's black eyes widened. "You _dare?"_

"I banish you," Cassie repeated. "You are bound to the locket, same as me, but I forbid you from ever taking a physical form again. Your spirit belongs to the locket now, forever."

Norvina drew her sword in a glint of silver. "You insolent _child_ —!"

But then she was gone.

The locket shuddered angrily in Cassie's palm, but she put it around her neck and closed the clasp. The familiar weight returned to her chest, and the locket became still once more when it linked itself to her heart.

There was a beat of silence until Cassie turned and faced her friends. Each face was equally drained of blood when they met her stare, but Cassie startled them all when she suddenly smiled brightly.

"Well," she said, "that's one problem solved."

* * *

He watched the eight Gryffindors troop back to the castle, their shadows warped and lengthened across the moonlit grounds like black ink spilled over parchment. His eyes narrowed when he recognized the four boys, his lips pulling back in a sneer as Cassie Alderfair trailed in their wake, forever chained to their side like a prisoner of her own making. The other two girls he couldn't care less about, but when his gaze found Lily Evans and her bright scarlet hair, his heart twisted like someone had physically reached into his chest and mangled it.

Claudia Carlisle may have been dead now, but if there was one thing the ill-fated witch had taught him, it was to always study your enemy's movements—to learn all their secrets and weaknesses. His eyes fastened on Remus Lupin, walking side-by-side with the cowardly Peter Pettigrew. He knew Lupin was hiding something—a secret even greater than any that Cassie Alderfair had. And he would find out what it was.

As the Gryffindors reached the castle doors, he melted back into the shadows, invisible to any wandering eye.

He would wait. And when he was sure…

Then he would strike.

* * *

 **Let me know what you thought!**

 **This chapter is a mess but if there's one thing Cassie learned, it's that if you have an annoying ancestor, just lock them up! We definitely haven't seen the last of Norvina, or the mystery of the Seven yet... I think my favorite scene to write though was Sirius calling Cassie out on her bullshit. Love her, but someone needed to say it.**

 **Stay safe out there!**

 **Next Chapter: _The Prisoner_**


	14. The Prisoner

**Welcome back! Thanks for all the new favorites/follows, and thank you to those who reviewed the last time!**

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen**

 **The Prisoner**

The grounds were unusually filled on a mid-November day, but it was also an unusual day itself. The winter snows had kept their distance, and this day had been a particularly warm one despite the season. It was such a rare occurrence, in fact, that the professors themselves had given up trying to teach and instead dismissed the students early to gambol in the great outdoors before winter well and truly fell upon them next week, as per the weatherwitch's reports.

Cassie lounged against the trunk of the Marauders' claimed beech tree, enjoying the warm sunshine and crisp breeze. Lily sat propped beside her, her eyes closed in contentment, while Alice and Marlene sprawled at their feet gossiping. The Marauders themselves were some distance away, kicking around a football they'd bribed some fourth-years for.

It was the first time in nearly two weeks that Cassie didn't feel some sense of dread or impending doom looming above her. After their jaunt into the Forbidden Forest, she still felt as if she were waiting for the other shoe to drop, for some new thing to happen, although she'd banished Norvina and hadn't heard a peep since.

She'd taken to wearing the locket again out of precaution, and it weighed heavily on her chest, keeping pace with her heart. Sirius had nearly thrown a fit when he saw that she was wearing it again.

He'd been waiting at the bottom of the girls' staircases to walk with her to breakfast the morning after their excursion, but at the sight of the locket, his easy grin had vanished.

"No," he'd said at once. "Absolutely not. No way are you wearing that shit anymore."

Cassie had sighed and given him a tired look. "I'm not leaving it alone when my insane ancestor is trapped inside it. That's just asking for trouble."

He'd scowled. "And I suppose I just have to get used to it?"

Her temper had flared. "Yes, actually. Because if you want to date me, you have to deal with _every_ part of me. Even the parts you don't like."

She'd stormed off then and refused to talk to him for the rest of the day. She'd only relented when he'd brought her a slice of lemon meringue pie as a peace offering, and though they hadn't brought it up since, she knew Sirius was still unhappy about her decision.

However, the thing that annoyed her the most was that everyone else seemed to be on Sirius's side in the matter. They had all tried, to no avail, to convince her to leave the locket alone, but she remained firm in her decision. Couldn't they see that the locket was too dangerous to be left by itself? After everything they had learned about it, it falling into the wrong hands would be disastrous. She hated it just as much as her friends did, but if they truly wanted to keep the world itself safe, she couldn't let it out of her sight.

She was brought back to the present when Lily nudged her shoulder.

"Hey," she said, her green eyes sparkling in the sun. "Are you all right? You're miles away."

Cassie sighed and settled back against the tree. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Well, don't," Lily chastised lightly. "It's a beautiful day and we're bound to not have another one like it for months. You should enjoy it and stop dwelling on things."

"I know." Cassie brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I just can't stop thinking about the other descendants Norvina mentioned. Like, who are they?"

Lily shifted uncomfortably. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Cass. You put Norvina back where she belongs so she can't bother you again." She hesitated. "And truthfully, I think you've done more than enough. The locket is safe, and you got the answers you needed about your mark. Maybe you should…I dunno…move on?"

The locket squirmed as if in protest. Cassie just watched the Marauders kick around the ball and laugh when Peter tripped over his own feet and faceplanted in the grass.

"Maybe," she said without conviction. "Maybe."

* * *

The next week, Cassie trudged down the girls' staircases alone, her bookbag hitting her leg with every step. She'd overslept, so her friends had gone to breakfast without her, not even bothering to wake her up. Miffed and disgruntled, she entered the common room to find Sirius waiting for her, as had become their new morning custom.

"Finally," he said, standing from his chair and throwing a stray copy of _Seeker Weekly_ aside. "I was about to change into Padfoot and come get you myself if you didn't show within the next five minutes."

She grunted as he swung an arm around her shoulders. "Thank my friends for that. They didn't even try waking me up!"

He chuckled. "Alice said they tried to wake you, but you were dead to the world, apparently." He brushed her hair back slightly to peer at her face. "Have you been sleeping well?"

They walked through the portrait hole together. "You should leave the mother hen act to James. He does it much better."

Sirius snorted. "Can I not be concerned for my girlfriend's well-being?"

"Of course, you can. I was just kidding."

He hummed as they made their way through the corridors and to the Great Hall. Cassie removed his arm from her shoulder so she could hold his hand instead. He squeezed her fingers. "Are you having any dreams again?"

She shook her head. "It's strange. I had dreams about Miranda and the locket all the time last year, but now…" The nightmares of her dead parents threatened to resurface, but she pushed them back down. "I don't know."

"Well," he started cautiously, "that may be a good thing."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Your dreams about Miranda gave you clues the last time. Maybe by not having dreams anymore, you don't have to worry about solving any problems."

"What about the Seven Elders, then? They have to be important."

"They're dead," said Sirius with finality. "I think our lives will be a lot easier if we keep it that way and move on."

Cassie frowned. "But why would my father leave me Norvina's name? There has to be something more, Sirius."

He halted abruptly, forcing her to stop as well. He stared at her. "I thought you wanted this to end, Cassie? To be over, so things could go back to normal?"

She let out an exasperated noise. "Of course, I want this to be over, Sirius! But ignoring it in the vain hope that it will just go away isn't something I can afford to do!"

"What changed, then?" he snapped. "Three weeks ago, you were fed up with it all. But now you're back on some bullshit because your nutcase of an ancestor said you had to be?"

She wrenched her hand out of his and stalked down the corridor. "I'm not having this conversation."

He easily caught up to her. "Why? Because you know I'm right?"

"Because you're _wrong_ and _you're_ the one who wants to keep ignoring the locket until something bad happens!"

"Like what?" he scoffed. "I was there too, you know. Norvina said the only way the locket's full power can be accessed is with _all seven descendants._ You're just one! Nothing _can_ happen." When she stayed silent, he laughed bitterly. "You know what I think? You don't _want_ to drop the locket, or the mystery, or any of it. Because you're afraid that without it, you'll just be ordinary again; that you'll go back to being nothing more than the Invisible Girl."

The words burrowed into Cassie as if Sirius had carved them into her flesh with a knife. She stopped walking and stared at him.

Sirius glared right back. His eyes were cold, his face twisted into his infamous Black scowl. She suddenly felt as if they were both in fifth year again, when he'd been convinced that she was on the path to becoming a Death Eater like her brother, before they'd ever even imagined they could be friends.

Her voice was quiet. "You don't mean that. You can't really…think that?"

He breathed sharply out his nose and glanced away from her. "I don't know what I think anymore, Cass."

She swallowed hard when he said nothing else. Wordlessly, she slipped past him and continued down the corridor, fighting tears all the way.

But distantly, she wondered if he was right.

* * *

Cassie didn't speak to anyone all day.

Though her friends must have sensed the frosty tension between her and Sirius, they didn't press her, thankfully. By the time they reached Defense Against the Dark Arts that afternoon, Cassie felt like her lips had been permanently glued shut from not talking.

"I have an exciting challenge for you all," announced Professor Staghart once class began. He swept his tawny eyes over the classroom with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. "In lieu of a final exam before the term ends, I've decided to let you all create and present your own research project instead."

Cassie and Marlene shared a wary glance. Professor Staghart noticed their trepidation, for he smiled and raised his hands.

"It will not be like the other boring research projects you've been assigned in other classes," he said. There were a few chuckles at this. "Instead of picking a topic for you, I'm letting you all have complete control over what you want to research. All I ask is that it in some way relates to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Whether you choose to research a Dark creature, a particular spell or wizard, or whatever else, that is up to you and how you can tie that subject back to what we have learned in class. Nothing is taboo or off-limits; however, I do ask that you keep your topic within reason."

He clapped his hands. "Now, I'm giving you this class period to brainstorm and come up with ideas of what you might want to research. If you are unsure of a topic, I will be up in my office to discuss your choices or answer any questions you may have." He flipped the small hourglass atop his desk. "You have ninety minutes beginning…now!"

The class erupted in whispers and excited murmurs as Professor Staghart climbed the stairs and disappeared into his office. Cassie watched him before Marlene elbowed her in the ribs.

"What are you thinking?" the blonde witch asked. "I'm blank."

But Cassie's brain had begun to churn with questions. She stood up.

"I'll be back," she said to a confused Marlene before starting for Staghart's office. Aware of the curious eyes on her back, she did her best to ignore them until she reached the door, which was slightly ajar. She knocked on it.

"Come in," answered Staghart. He glanced up in surprise when Cassie entered. "Miss Alderfair. That was quick. Do you have an idea already?"

"Yes, sir." Cassie shut the door behind her. His eyebrows shot up. "Have you ever heard of the Seven Elder witches?"

He slowly sat behind his desk, keeping his expression neutral. "And where have you heard of that before?"

"A reliable source," she answered shortly. "So, have you?"

"I…ran across them during my work," he admitted. "But why…?"

"I'd like to research them," she said. "Any resources you have, I'd like access to. For my project."

He assessed her carefully. "It seems a very historical topic, Miss Alderfair. Perhaps you should reconsider."

"No, thank you, sir," she said. "I've already made up my mind."

They stared at each other for a long moment. The scars on his face shifted as he grimaced. "Very well. As long as you can relate them back to Defense Against the Dark Arts, I don't see a problem with it." He drew a piece of parchment and a quill toward himself. "I'll make a list of references for you. Some titles may have to be accessed outside of the library, but you are welcome to look through my own personal collection if you need something specific."

"Thank you, sir."

He finished writing and waited to let the ink dry. He gazed at her with unreadable tawny eyes. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Miss Alderfair?"

Cassie sat herself in the chair before his desk. "What did Erebus Kane do to end up in Azkaban?"

Professor Staghart blinked before reclining in his seat. "Does this have anything to do with your research project?"

Cassie smiled thinly. "What do you think?"

Staghart gave her a faint smirk. "Manners, Miss Alderfair. I am still your teacher."

"Are you going to tell me or not? Sir."

He tapped his fingers together. "It's not a pleasant story. And there are still many holes in it which have been left unfilled over the years."

She shook her head. "I just need the basics."

"Very well." He paused. "He was jailed for murder."

Cassie stared blankly. "That's it?"

"That's the distilled version." He sighed. "As you know, Kane was my mentor when I first became a Curse-Breaker." She nodded. "We were…close. It was how I found out the truth of what he had done."

She waited. Staghart leaned forward again and put his elbows on the desk. "I was fresh out of school. Eager. Kane was only a few years older than me, but already he was one of the best Curse-Breakers in the field. When I was assigned to him, I was ecstatic. He became something of an older brother to me." His face darkened, and his scars seemed to stand out more starkly. "Two years into my tenure, he disappeared. I soon learned from the authorities that he had been arrested for murder when they brought me in for questioning. That was how I came to know what he'd done.

"You see, Kane was a brilliant wizard. Ambitious. He'd always been fascinated with how magic truly worked—how wizards and witches differentiated from Muggles, and where our magic originated from."

Cassie shifted in her seat. The words eerily echoed Will and his own ambitions.

"Kane had three older sisters. Madeleine, Rhiannon, and Griselda."

Cassie gaped. "He murdered all three of them?"

Staghart eyed her sharply. "Worse. He experimented on them. Tortured them for months, trying to discern where their magic came from." His shoulders flexed beneath his maroon cloak. "And I never knew. He hid his tracks well."

A knot had formed in Cassie's stomach. "Then how was he arrested?"

Staghart shook his head. "He turned himself in. Why? I couldn't tell you. Perhaps some shred of humanity still inside him that felt remorse? I don't know. And I never will."

"You never saw him again?"

"Once." He scowled. "When he was given a life sentence at his trial. He hadn't spoken a single word the entire time. When he was sentenced, he just nodded and went with the Aurors. That was the last time I ever saw his face."

"I'm…sorry," Cassie murmured. "That must have been awful. Someone so close to you…" She shuddered. "I didn't even go to my brother's trial. I-I couldn't."

Staghart smiled without warmth. "You didn't have to. I just wanted to look into the eyes of the man I'd come to accept as family and ask him why he did it. Why he took my Griselda from me." He stopped, a flash of alarm flitting across his face at the admission before it was concealed. "But I never got the chance. At least I can have some comfort knowing he'll be haunted forever in Azkaban."

The office was silent. Cassie watched Staghart stare into space, as if remembering his former mentor and Griselda Kane. Cassie empathized with his pain. She knew what it was like to have someone you loved taken from you in such a horrific way. She still didn't trust him, but he'd given her some much-needed answers.

She got to her feet and cleared her throat. "Thank you, sir. You've given me a lot to think about."

"Of course, Miss Alderfair," he said without seeing her. "I look forward to hearing more about your research."

Cassie nodded and left him alone with the ghosts of his past.

* * *

That night, Sirius found her in the library.

She'd skipped dinner to avoid her friends and work on the Charms essay she had due tomorrow, but she'd only managed to write a sentence before she got distracted by all that she had learned from Professor Staghart that day. She was sure she must've looked like a loon staring blankly at the table for the better part of an hour, but she only glanced up and refocused her eyes when Sirius took the chair beside hers.

He cleared his throat, but she picked up her quill again and turned back to her essay. "I'm busy."

"Yes, zoning out with only half an essay written sure looks taxing," he said drily.

She glared at her parchment. "I used to do this all the time before Will graduated; just sit here, alone. Be the Invisible Girl." He opened his mouth, but she plowed on before he could interrupt. "When Will was still at school, he'd find me at this table. He'd ask me how my day was and sneak me some sweets before he was off again. He was always being called away; by Quidditch; by girls; his friends. I always wished I could've been like him, but I was just…too afraid to put myself out there like that. I had Lily, Alice, and Marlene, and that had been enough."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "I hated being the Invisible Girl until Will left and joined the Death Eaters. Then my anonymity became a gift. A shield to hide behind when the news got around. But then you tried to help me with my trunk our first day back." She opened her eyes and gave him a watery smile. "And you hated me, but I didn't care. Because from that moment, you _saw_ me. And so did the others. I wasn't invisible anymore." A tear slipped down her cheek. She brushed it away irritably. "You were right, Sirius. I don't want to be that girl anymore. And as much as I hate it, I know I'd still be her without the locket. For better or worse, it brought all of us together."

He reached up and cupped her chin, gently moving her until they faced each other. He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip, and she shivered at the touch.

"I don't care about the locket," he said quietly. "I care about _you_." He moved his hand to cradle her cheek. "You're not nothing without it, Cassie." He sighed and glanced down to the table. "I was an ass this morning. And I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. I just _hate_ that all of this shit keeps happening to you, and I can't— _do_ anything about it."

She grinned faintly. "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to protect me?"

He met her eyes again. His silver eyes shined as brightly as the star he was named for when he said, "You better get used to saying it, then. I'm not going to stop."

She laughed. He smiled before his expression turned serious again. "I really am sorry for this morning, Cass. As much as I hate the thought, though, you're probably right about that thing." He nodded to the locket peeking out of the collar of her robes. "It's safer with you."

She nodded. "I'll find a way to get rid of it—forever. I promise."

He sighed. "All right." He sat back and grinned. "Just make it quick, yeah?"

They chuckled. Sirius put an elbow on the table and leaned on it. "Sappy shit aside, anything interesting happen today? How'd your conversation with Staghart go?"

"Well…" She grimaced. "I may have told him I wanted to research the Elders?"

She expected Sirius to blow up, but he only nodded and said, "Naturally."

She grinned nervously. "And, er, I got him to tell me about Erebus Kane."

At this, Sirius sat up again, alert. "And? What'd he say?"

She relayed everything Staghart had told her to Sirius. When she finished, Sirius's eyes were wide.

"Damn," he said. "That's…twisted."

She shook her head. "I still don't understand why Will would want to speak with _him_ specifically, though. It sounds like Kane didn't get any answers from his experiments."

"Unless he did," said Sirius, uneasy.

She slouched in her seat and crossed her arms. "What would Will gain from Kane, though? What is he after?" She blew a piece of hair from her face in frustration. "If I could just find out _what_ —"

She was interrupted when Madam Pince's shrill voice squawked, "Mr. Snape! I will not tolerate loitering in the library!"

Cassie and Sirius turned in their seats to see Severus Snape marched out from the bookshelf right behind Cassie's table, the sallow Slytherin boy held at the point of a feather-duster as the librarian advanced on him.

"Unacceptable!" screeched Madam Pince. "Out at once!"

Sirius bolted to his feet at the sight of Snape. "Were you spying on us?" he demanded loudly, glaring at Snape.

Snape scowled. "Of course not. I was looking for a book." He glowered at Madam Pince. " _The Complete Anthology of Antidotes,_ if you don't mind."

Madam Pince swept her beady eyes over the three before she huffed. "Very well." She stalked away, swishing her feather-duster.

When she'd gone, Sirius took a step closer to Snape. To his credit, Snape stood his ground, but Cassie watched his eyes dart between Sirius's angry face and clenched right hand.

"Well?" said Sirius. "Sticking your ugly nose into our business again, Snivellus?"

At Snape's sneer, Cassie slid to her feet, watching the two boys warily.

"Weren't you listening, Black?" he said. "I was searching for a book. I'd rather not listen to you and your blood traitor whisper sweet nothings to each other anyway—"

"Leave her out of this," Sirius growled, advancing.

"Gladly," said Snape. "She means nothing to me."

"Then what were you doing eavesdropping?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "I'm done being interrogated."

He turned to leave, but Sirius shoved him into the bookshelf so hard that several volumes tumbled onto the floor. The commotion caused half the library to look up from their work in interest. Cassie rushed forward.

"Sirius, stop!" she hissed. "He's not worth it!"

Sirius shrugged her off. "No, Cassie—I'm fed up with this git—always prying—"

Snape laughed, his voice muffled from his face being up against the shelf. "Always playing the tough one, Black, how predictable—"

Sirius pressed his face harder into the shelf, his hand on the back of Snape's neck. He spoke to Cassie. "Five minutes, Cass—that's all I need to get this slimy git off our backs for good—"

"Rematch between Black and Snape!" a third-year Hufflepuff boy whooped behind them. An avid crowd advanced on the two boys, their faces lit up with excitement. After an uncertain glance, Cassie stepped away from Sirius and Snape to address the crowd.

"Go back to your seats," she said in the most authoritative voice she could conjure. "This doesn't concern you."

"You're not a prefect," a younger Ravenclaw boy sneered at her. "You can't tell us what to do."

"I can get a prefect involved," she threatened, but the students were undeterred. They just kept pressing closer, trying to get a good look.

Cassie glanced over her shoulder. " _Sirius_ —"

But he'd already let Snape go. Cassie watched, confused, as Snape staggered back from the bookshelf, red marks on his pale face where he'd been pressed up against it. He straightened his robes, an expression of black loathing on his features, combined with something else she couldn't identify—shock? Triumph? Before she could decipher it, Snape was darting out of the library to the jeers and disappointed murmurs of the crowd.

Cassie gripped Sirius's elbow. "Hey. What happened? What did you say to Snape?"

Sirius's face was flushed in fury, his eyes glinting with a light that made her stomach turn.

"Don't worry about it," he said, his gaze on Snape's retreating back. "All you need to know is that Snape won't be bothering us again."

Cassie stared, uncomprehending, a bad feeling growing in her gut.

What had Sirius done?

* * *

 **Let me know what you thought!**

 **Next Chapter: _The Snake in the Tunnel_**


	15. The Snake in the Tunnel

**Welcome back! If only I could update this frequently all the time... I'd probably have this done by now :')**

 **Anyway, thanks for all the new favorites/follows, and thank you to everyone who reviewed the last time! I love reading your comments; they make my day!**

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 **The Snake in the Tunnel**

Lily shut her seventh book of the night with a muffled thump and groaned. "I can't find _anything_ useful for my research topic. Professor Staghart is going to wring my neck!"

The four Gryffindor girls had taken refuge in the library that Saturday afternoon after lunch to work on their respective projects for Defense Against the Dark Arts, but the work was proving droll and tedious. Cassie hadn't even bothered to look for a book concerning the Seven Elders, figuring she would coast off Professor Staghart's resources once the deadline drew nearer. She still wasn't entirely sure she wanted to delve further into the mad world Norvina had been part of, anyway. Instead, she sat with her arms crossed on the table and her head resting atop them, opting to watch the winter sun slowly descend through the window while her friends gathered references.

Marlene glanced up from her own book with a small frown. "Here, Lils, try this one; I'm not finding much about the history of defensive spells anyway." She pushed the book toward Lily, who accepted it with a nod of thanks. Next to her, Alice crossed off another title on her parchment.

"I thought this was going to be easier," the brunette witch said. "I mean, how hard can it be to research Circe? She has her own Chocolate Frog card, for Merlin's sake!"

Cassie grinned. "Maybe you should use that as one of your references."

Alice shot her a good-natured glare. "Har, har." She set down her quill and eyed Cassie critically. "I don't see _you_ researching, Miss Too-Cool. Taking a leaf from Sirius Black's book?"

Cassie shrugged. "Not in the mood." She checked her watch. "Besides, I have to meet Remus soon."

Lily frowned, distracted from her frantic scan of her book's pages. "Again? Weren't you just with him earlier this week?"

"Yeah, what's up?" said Marlene, leaning forward in her seat. "This is the third time in a row you've ditched us for him."

Cassie squirmed under their gazes. She hated to lie to them about her Animagus lessons, but that would lead to questions about _why_ she wanted to become one, and those weren't her secrets to share.

"Er…he…tutors me."

The three girls stared at her, gobsmacked.

"I've offered to tutor you for years, but you always said you didn't need it," said Lily suspiciously.

Alice's eyebrows contracted. "You know, Cass, I've kept quiet since term started, but…don't you think you've been spending a lot of time with Remus?"

"Yeah," Marlene piped up. "And I've never seen him tutoring you in here or the common room. What do you two _really_ get up to?"

Cassie sat up, indignant. "I'm not going behind Sirius's back, if that's what you're getting at."

"No one is saying that," Lily said diplomatically. "We're just wondering what's going on."

Cassie stood up with a huff, throwing her things into her bag. "With any luck, you'll know soon." She shouldered her bag and threw them a sour look. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got to get going."

She walked out of the library, feeling like some many-legged creature was crawling up her throat. How could they think she was running off with Remus whenever Sirius wasn't looking? She sighed, scraping her hair into a ponytail as she trekked through the castle corridors. She guessed she couldn't blame them. She _was_ being dodgy about her lessons with Remus. But didn't she have a good reason to be? Questions about her learning to become an Animagus would lead to questions about why, which would lead to questions about the Marauders, and eventually Remus. Was this how the boys had felt all last year before she discovered Remus's secret? She shook her head. At any rate, she would have to tell the girls soon. She couldn't keep them in the dark much longer.

She left the castle behind and braced herself against the early December chill. The grounds were empty as she ventured toward the Whomping Willow, her hands stashed under her armpits to keep them warm. She was reluctant to take out her wand, but she removed it from her pocket and pointed it at the knot barely visible on the Willow's trunk when she got close. _"Immobulus."_

The Willow's swaying branches stood at attention as she walked forward and ducked into the tunnel. She kept her head bowed as she shuffled along, but her scalp still scraped against the roof every once in a while. She couldn't remember her head ever brushing the ceiling before, but perhaps she still wasn't done growing yet. She stifled a sigh at the thought. She already stood half a head taller than Peter, and positively towered over the girls. At least Sirius was taller than her. David O'Leary had been shorter than her when they'd gone out in third year, and she'd rather not repeat that experience again. She'd felt like a giant.

After several minutes of cold walking that felt closer to an hour, Cassie emerged from the tunnel into the Shrieking Shack. To her immense gratitude and relief, a fire was already going in the dusty hearth, and the oil lamps were lit. She stood and brushed the dirt off her robes before realizing that she and Remus had company.

"Peter," she said in surprise when she spotted the mousy boy sitting at the dining table with Remus. "What are you doing here?"

Peter waved. "Sitting in on your lesson."

"I invited him," said Remus to her questioning look. "Since we're moving on from theory and into the technicalities of transforming, I thought having the actual Animagi of the group here to help would be more beneficial for you."

"No, that's a good idea," she said as she deposited her stuff with theirs in the derelict kitchen. "Where're Sirius and James, then?"

"Practice," Peter said. "They'll be here later tonight, though, for the…"

He pointed to the window. Cassie frowned. "It's a full moon again? Already?"

Remus sighed. Now that Cassie realized the day, it was plain to see how exhausted he was. His usual green eyes were muted and dull, and every word looked forced. "Tell me about it."

Cassie cringed. "Oh, sorry, Remus."

He waved her off. "It's fine. Are you ready?"

"Yes." She looked at Peter. "What do I do?"

He leaned back in his chair so he could pop his back. The loud cracks filled the room before he sighed and said, "Well, there's nothing you _can_ do right now. You haven't even started on your Mandrake leaf yet."

She frowned. "I was waiting for the holidays to do it."

"You still have a whole month before you're even ready to practice shifting," he pointed out. "The Mandrake leaf comes first."

"I know." She looked between him and Remus. "Then what's this lesson all about?"

"It doesn't hurt to learn the concept of the transformation," said Remus patiently. "That way, when the time comes, you'll have a better understanding of it."

"Right." She raised an eyebrow at Peter. "So, then, what's my first step, Master Wormtail?"

Peter looked giddy at her address, and she and Remus shared an amused look as the blond boy bounced to his feet.

"All right, first, you have to clear your mind," he said, approaching her and waving his hand in front of her face like he was about to perform some ancient Occlumency ritual on her. She bit back a laugh. "The transformation will be a lot harder if your mind's focused on your unfinished Potions homework or something."

"Projecting, Wormtail?" asked Remus.

Peter ignored him. "Once your mind is clear, you have to find your center—the source where your transformation comes from." He tapped his chest to demonstrate. "I think of mine like a spool of yarn. When I'm human, the yarn sits here, wrapped up nice and tight. Then when I want to shift, I grab a thread and pull it." He mimicked the movement. "When the yarn unravels, it releases my magic, where the transformation comes from. And when it's finished unraveling, you get—"

He disappeared between one blink and the next. Cassie looked down and saw Peter's rat form at her feet. He chittered as if saying _"Ta-da!"_ She grinned and knelt down before him.

"Impressive," she said. She scratched the top of his little rat head. "You're so cute, Pete. I just want to put a little sweater on you—ow, you dick!"

She held her finger where he'd bitten her. He squeaked and she swore it sounded like laughter. She got to her feet and heard Remus chuckling where he still sat at the dining table.

"Guess he didn't like that," he said.

Cassie glared down at the rat scuffling around her shoes. "If I get rabies from you, you're dead."

Peter shifted back, his Animagus body stretching and elongating until the smiling blond boy stood before her again.

"Just for that, I hope I turn into a cat like McGonagall," she said to him.

Peter laughed, but she was satisfied when it sounded just a little uneasy. "We'll see. But did that make sense?"

"A lot, actually," she said, sitting down at the table next to Remus. Peter followed her lead and returned to his vacant seat across from them. "But I guess my next step is to get my hands on a Mandrake leaf, yeah?"

"Oh, that's easy," said Peter. "Greenhouse Four always has a stock of them. Professor Sprout keeps them around for Potions and the hospital wing."

Cassie nodded. "I'm just trying to work out how I'm going to keep it from everyone for a month. A Sticking Charm on my tongue, maybe? But won't people still be able to see it?"

"James and Sirius did the Sticking Charm," Peter said. "So did I, er, after I swallowed my third leaf by accident."

"And no one noticed?" Cassie asked.

Peter scratched his chin. "Well, I think one girl did—but she'd been snogging Sirius—obviously ages ago—" he added to her surly look. "Can't even remember her name, to be honest—she was pretty, though—not that you're not!—So pretty—I mean, objectively, not like I fancy you or anything—Godric, I mean—Sirius is a lucky bloke!" he finished hastily.

Remus wheezed out a laugh. "Merlin, Wormtail, now we know why you can't talk to girls."

Cassie giggled too. "Thanks, Pete."

Peter smiled nervously, his face pink. "You're welcome."

Remus slouched in his seat and drummed his fingers on the table. Cassie peered at his tired face. "Do you want to rest, Remus? We don't have to carry on tonight if you don't want to."

"Honestly? Yeah," he said wearily. "Normally, I like to wear myself out as much as possible—just to keep him contained—but I can't keep my eyes open today."

"Here." Cassie grabbed the blanket from the top of the couch in the sitting room. It was thin and scratchy, and one corner looked as if it had been chewed by mice, but she spread it on the floor in front of the fireplace. "We can all take a break."

Peter happily plopped down beside Cassie, humming a tune to himself. Cassie patted the space on her other side, and Remus joined them, laying on his back and tucking a hand beneath his head with a soft groan.

"This is nice," Peter said as he warmed his feet. "We hardly ever use the fireplace, but apparently Remus likes you more than us."

Remus snorted. Beside Cassie, his eyes were closed. "We don't use the fireplace because it draws attention. People in Hogsmeade could see the smoke."

Cassie looked at him, eyes wide, but he kept his own shut. "I didn't even think of that! What if someone comes poking around now?"

Remus made a noncommittal noise. "Everyone thinks this place is haunted. They won't come."

"And if they do, they'll find a werewolf and a rat," said Peter, unworried.

"What about me?"

"Just wear a sheet and pretend you're a ghost."

She shook her head. "It amazes me how far you lot have made it in life sometimes."

"Relax, Cassie," Remus said when she stared into the fire and nibbled on her bottom lip. "It's getting dark, anyway. We're safe here."

"Oh, all right." She flopped on her back, her shoulders now sandwiched between Peter and Remus. "But for the record, I still think this is a terrible idea."

Remus yawned. "I've been saying that for years, but no one listens to me either."

"I listen to you, Moony," said Peter.

"No, you don't. You listen to whoever's loudest, and that's usually James or Sirius."

"What about me?" Cassie butted in. "Peter, you listen to me, right?"

"Of course. I listened to your story about your childhood cat, didn't I? Mr. Perryworth?"

Cassie made an offended sound. "Mr. Pogington!"

"Oh."

Remus snorted. "You named your cat Mr. Pogington?"

"He was named after the seventeenth-century wizard who theorized that some potions' effects worked best whenever a certain constellation was parallel to the Earth's equator. He was completely wrong, of course, but my tutor forced me to learn about him in my studies prior to Hogwarts. I just liked the name."

"You realize that no one on Earth has ever heard of that wizard besides you, yeah?"

Peter coughed. "Pure-bloods."

Cassie sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

They fell silent, listening to the flames crackle, before Peter spoke up again.

"If there wasn't a war going on," he said quietly, "what would you guys want to do after Hogwarts?"

Cassie glanced over, but his watery blue eyes were trained on the peeling ceiling. She looked at Remus, and his eyes were open again. They shared a look before Remus asked, "What do you mean?"

Peter shrugged. "Like, life after school. I know Dumbledore's Order is in our plans, but if there was no war, no Death Eaters, no You-Know-Who—what would you want your life to look like?"

"I don't know," said Cassie slowly when Remus didn't speak. "Do you, Pete?"

"I would've liked to own my own pub," he said. "Maybe have a flat above it or something. And once I got married, I'd get a house—a nice one in a wizarding village somewhere, so I could raise my kids. And if I had enough money, I'd buy my mum a house, too. We'd have dinner with her every Sunday, and she'd get to see her grandkids. I think I'd like that."

"That sounds lovely, Pete," said Cassie truthfully. She hesitated. "I'm sure you can still have all of that once the war's over."

He nodded, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling.

Cassie copied him, thinking. What did she want her life to look like? She'd never given it much thought before. Though she'd been pressured to think of potential careers before, she'd never had to worry about the necessity of a job. She'd grown up wealthy, lived a sheltered, privileged life—her parents' careers were more hobbies than anything, and she'd retained that mindset for herself. It wasn't until recently that she'd been faced with the daunting prospects of her own future. She wasn't even sure _what_ she wanted anymore. All that she saw was Will and his plans to take over the world, and beyond him, Voldemort and the war. Anything other than that was shrouded by clouds of uncertainty.

"Professor Kettleburn offered me a letter of recommendation a couple months ago," she said, "for the Department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures. He said I'd always been good with magical creatures, so if I wanted a career, he'd help me. I never really thought about my life after Hogwarts until his offer."

"That's great, Cass," said Remus. She squeezed his hand.

"All I know is that I want all of you in my future," she said.

"You're going to make me cry," said Peter dramatically, and Cassie rolled her eyes, but she smiled all the same.

"Me too," Remus said quietly. His free hand rested absently on his stomach as he talked to the ceiling. "I'm terrified," he admitted. "After Hogwarts…" He shut his eyes. "It's going to be hard finding a job with my condition. And even if I get hired anywhere, it'll be almost impossible to keep steady work when they find out what I am. Same with housing."

"Then you'll live with me," Cassie said immediately. "We don't even have to live at my family home—we can get a flat in London somewhere—maybe Diagon Alley—"

"No way!" Peter objected. "He's living with us! Bachelor flat!"

Remus chuckled when Cassie shushed him. "Come off it! Remus will never want for anything with me. We can blow all my family's inheritance and live a life of unparalleled luxury."

"So, I'm your pet?" Remus asked, amused. "The next Mr. Pogington, perhaps?"

Peter laughed while Cassie grinned sheepishly.

"I'll figure it out," Remus said eventually. "Thank you for the offer, though, Cass."

"That's what friends are for," she said with a shrug.

The three lay in comfortable silence after that. Cassie must have dozed off at some point, for when she next opened her eyes, darkness had fallen. Peter had shaken her awake, and he pointed to his watch. "You should head back to the castle now. It's an early moonrise tonight."

"Right," she said, sitting up and wincing at her stiff back. Beside her, Remus dozed on. "Tell Remus I said bye, yeah?"

"Will do." Peter sent her off with a wave after she collected her things. "See you later, Cass."

She waved back before dropping into the tunnel and beginning the arduous trek back to the castle grounds. By the time she Immobilized the Willow again and climbed out, stars dusted the black sky, and the full moon was just peeking over the distant mountains. Wrapping her cloak more securely around herself, Cassie set off for the castle, keeping her pace brisk. She checked her watch at the doors and cursed; it was a quarter after curfew, and without either the Marauder's Map or Invisibility Cloak, making it back to Gryffindor Tower was going to be a challenge.

She had just entered the double doors when footsteps sounded in the entrance hall. Fearing Filch or Mrs. Norris were prowling about, she ducked behind a stone column and held her breath. The footsteps were far too quick to be the caretaker's shuffling gait, however. She peeked out, her face scrunching in confusion when she saw Severus Snape, of all people, striding purposefully for the double doors she had just entered. With a discreet look, Snape slipped out of the doors and left the castle.

Cassie teetered, unsure. What was Snape doing? Why was he sneaking out of the castle? She shook her head. Whatever his reasons, he shouldn't be out on the grounds tonight, not with Remus's transformation. With her gut clenched in warning, Cassie followed him back out into the night.

Her brief deliberation had given him a head-start, and he was already halfway across the grounds before she managed to even make it down the castle's steps. It seemed like he was heading toward the Forbidden Forest, but at the fork in the path that would either take him by Hagrid's hut or toward the greenhouses, he veered left and went straight for the Whomping Willow.

Cassie's heart began to pound as she tore down the path after Snape. There was no way he could know about the Willow or its tunnel, or what it led to. But Snape walked with all the confidence of someone who knew exactly what they were doing, and her fear tripled when he stopped just outside the range of the tree's whipping branches.

Cassie wrenched her wand free and cried, "Snape! Stop!"

The Slytherin turned, his face lifting in a triumphant sneer. She was still some yards away, but Snape jerked his wand and said, _"Expelliarmus!"_

Her wand shot from her hand and landed somewhere in the dark grass behind her. Cassie swore and fumbled. "Snape, you bloody idiot! Get away from there!"

He ignored her, pointing his wand instead at the Willow's knot. _"Immobulus!"_

The tree froze. Cassie gaped. It was impossible. Snape couldn't know about the Willow's weak spot. But she watched in horror as Snape passed, unharmed, underneath the lethal branches and disappeared into the tunnel.

Cassie's momentary shock cost her dearly. Several horrifying moments passed before she recovered herself and dove to her knees, groping for her wand. Snape's spell had already worn off. The Willow began to sway again, wary of any potential targets, and she wouldn't be able to follow Snape until she _found her bloody wand._

"Son of a bitch!" she cursed when her hands kept turning up only rocks and twigs. "Come on—"

"Cassie?"

She whirled, almost sobbing in relief when James and Sirius appeared, staring at her like she'd gone mad.

"Snape!" she said. "Remus—Whomping Willow—" She pointed frantically toward the tree. "We need to stop him—"

"Snape?" James repeated, his voice hard. " _Snape_ went in?"

"Yes!" Cassie nearly screamed.

James flew into action immediately. "Help her!" he barked at Sirius before pulling his wand and charging the tree. In ten seconds flat, the Willow had stilled, and James had flung himself down the tunnel after Snape.

 _"Lumos,"_ Sirius said, and his wand tip ignited. Cassie spotted her wand nearly three yards away and snatched it up.

"Come on," she said to Sirius, preparing to start after James, but he held her back. "Dammit, Sirius, let me go!"

"It's Snape," he said, incredulous. "You're really about to charge headfirst into the place where our friend is turning into a bloody werewolf to help _Snape_?"

"Have you missed the part where that same werewolf could harm Snape?" She wrestled against his grip, but he held firm. "Sirius, _let me go_!"

"It's Snape," he repeated, his voice cold.

Something about his tone forced Cassie to stop struggling. The full moon had risen above the mountains and now reigned over the sky. Distantly, she could've sworn she heard a howl, and she shivered—at the cry of a werewolf or the sudden frost in Sirius's gaze, she didn't know.

Though nearly a fortnight had passed since their confrontation with Snape in the library, Sirius's words echoed back to her with plummeting clarity: _"Snape won't be bothering us again."_

"Sirius," she rasped, "what did you do?"

He said nothing, and this time, Cassie heard Remus's howl clearly in the silence that stretched between them. "Sirius, _what did you do_?"

His face had been stone until that point, but when another howl tore through the night, it crumbled.

"I don't know," he whispered.

Cassie took several steps back. She suddenly felt nauseous. She was sure she would have started hexing Sirius with every spell she knew if James hadn't reappeared in the tunnel's mouth at that moment.

He Immobilized the tree again and clambered out of the tunnel, dragging Snape behind him by the collar of his robes. Snape looked as if he had been Petrified; his face was bloodless and the color of sour milk, and he trembled as violently as one of the Willow's branches. Peter followed the two boys out of the tunnel, looking almost as sick as Cassie felt.

James's fury was palpable as the three boys came to a stop before Cassie and Sirius. James released his death grip on Snape, and the Slytherin sank to his knees, his black eyes glassy and wide.

James seemed as if he was refraining from punching Snape with great effort as he bit out, "How—the _fuck_ —did he know about the tunnel?"

Peter flinched when James's gaze fell on him, but he shook his head vigorously. James's stare cut into Cassie, but she glared back, defiant. Finally, he looked at Sirius.

"Tell me it wasn't you," he said, his voice strained. "Sirius, tell me it wasn't fucking you."

Sirius said nothing. He met James's eyes briefly, angry, but he backed down just as quickly, shifting his gaze to the ground. Hurt, rage, and disbelief all flickered over James's face, as rapid as lightning, before his expression forged itself into iron.

"Get up," he barked at Snape. For once, Snape listened, getting to his feet shakily. James shoved him toward the castle, and he stumbled a bit before righting himself. "We're letting Dumbledore deal with you."

He and Snape headed back for the castle, Peter hurrying behind. Sirius didn't move. He stared at the Whomping Willow, the moon casting his face into deep shadow. Cassie glared at him.

"Remus is your friend," she said.

He didn't look at her. "I know."

Another howl pierced the night. When Sirius said nothing else, Cassie marched past him without a word.

He didn't follow, even when another keening cry of a lone wolf searching for its pack echoed across the moonlit grounds.

* * *

 **I live for Cassie/Peter/Remus and their entire friendship dynamic. The chaotic energy of the Marauders/Cassie is great too, but for some reason, those three are my favorite. Maybe it's because they're all outsiders in their own way and bond over that? Idk, but I still love them. Thoughts?**

 **And Sirius, you're a whore. We still love you though.**

 **I appreciate all of your thoughts and comments! Reading your own speculations and theories is so much fun, and I love your feedback! I know there's like 10 million plot points going on, but these next few chapters will focus pretty heavily on the Marauders and Cassie and their fallout over Sirius's very, very poor decision. So stay tuned for that.**

 **Next Chapter: _The Scars_**


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